


centuries

by cynphonium



Category: One Piece
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Childhood Friends, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Original Character(s), Reader-Insert, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 42,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24726001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynphonium/pseuds/cynphonium
Summary: a blank slate of a woman searches for the memories of her past and seeks brighter days.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	1. 0. PROLOGUE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> once upon a dream, they looked up at the same sky.

[unedited]

It was yet another quiet night at sea.

A lone ship stays in its' place, gently cradled by the ocean's waves, lulled into a peaceful rhythm as it sways back and forth, comforted by its' oceanic mother's embrace. The crew of jolly men who inhabited the ship were nowhere to be found, having already retired to their quarters for the night.

The parade of festivities and boisterous laughter that once filled the ship is no more, although the intoxicating traces of effervescent alcohol and warm, fuzzy feelings that came with such a jovial celebration still linger. The few bits of confetti and stains of spilled liquor remain, smearing the sturdy wooden flooring of the ship.

Only one seafarer remained awake, gazing at the scintillatingly bright constellations that dotted the midnight sky in solemn solitude. A young woman wearing an indescribable countenance on her face, bearing a body neither young nor old with a plethora of knowledge and wisdom beyond that of her companions and those who had been fortunate to acquaint themselves with her. A set of soft, [hair color] colored tresses were splayed out, billowing around her form. 

After what seemed like hours stacked upon hours of nothing but pure silence accompanied by the soothing tempo of the ocean's song, a heavy pair of footsteps entered the silent room. Soft, but strong, these heavily-padded pairs of boots marched towards the lonely stargazer. Whether she had been startled by the newcomer's presence or not, she gave no sign of such surprise on her face, only giving a curt nod in polite greeting to her companion as he sat down next to her.

The silence continued, but only for a few more minutes as the young woman's companion tilted his head upwards to view the same sight that she had occupied herself with beforehand. The stars twinkled with delight, dancing around the ever-watchful moon as it shone its' light down onto the young woman beside him. He took note of the way his companion looked, both far too ethereal and beyond his reach, like an exquisite painting that belonged within a museum, protected by a set of golden chains and watchful guardsmen.

It was not the first time he'd thought such things of her, and they most certainly would not be the last.

Finally, after such a long period of quietude, he spoke.

"I don't have much time left."

A pair of [eye color] eyes glanced back at him, flickering back towards the starry sky without a single ounce of change within their holder's expression. Once again, there was hardly a change in the woman's facial expression, something she'd always had since they first met each other, he thinks to himself rather quietly.

"It is something you have told me countless times before. I'm not exactly sure why you would bother to remind me of such things now." She replies, stifling a dreary sigh about to come out of her throat. A bark of laughter reaches her ears, and she tilts her head to see her companion grinning with the very same beaming face she'd laid eyes on the very first time they met one another. She doesn't say anything else, patiently waiting for her companion to finish up his bouts of merriment before resuming their conversation.

"I have, haven't I?" He repeats to himself, wiping a tear from his twinkling eyes. An airy laugh trails out of his lips as he leans back to stare back at the midnight sky. Another bout of silence fills the air, only to be cut off by his feminine counterpart.

"This doesn't have to be the end for you, not after everything you've done all these years. You know as well as I do that―"

"My days are numbered," The man declared, a gaze filled with no room for arguments staring back at the woman beside him. "We both know that more than anyone else here." 

_'You're wrong,'_ She thinks to herself. _'You don't have to die, you can still be saved. You can live for me and everyone else a little longer. You don't have to give everything up right here and right now. There are still too many things for you to do, to see, to live for than to give up now. You can still live.'_

Yet despite everything, she can only close her mouth shut and bite down on her lips, lowering her eyes down to the wooden flooring before her. A hand reaches out to her, finding its' place on the silky [hair color] tresses on her head as they playfully ruffle her hair, eliciting a short gasp from the young woman as her companion laughs quietly to himself.

"You deserve happiness. You've pushed yourself away from such things for far too long." 

She tilts her head upward, looking back up at him with a change in her countenance. And for a brief moment, her eyes are twinkling with stars filled with dreams, bearing crescents of doubt and inner turmoil within her entire being at his words. But she quickly reverts back to the lonely gaze of solitude she'd worn before, sighing before letting a rueful smile blossom on her face.

"Is that an order, Captain?" She chuckles, only to freeze at the sight of her companion's gaze. It is firm and weighty, filled with earnest sincerity and resolute, like a sharpened blade. The young stargazer finds that there are no words that can come out of her mouth when she looks back at him, awaiting his next words.

"If that is what it will take to get it through your head, then I'd do it a thousand times more until the day I die." 

Staring back at him, a pair of [eye color] eyes as deep as the sea eventually close themselves, accompanied by a solemn sigh relinquishing any remaining traces of an old desire to argue with him any further, knowing that such words would have no hold on his own stubborn desires.

"...Understood." She murmurs, looking away in a brief moment of bashfulness as her companion nodded, returning to his usual beaming countenance. The rattling sound of a bottle filled with the sloshing of liquids brings her back around to look over at her companion, blinking owlishly at the sight of the hefty bottle of ambrosial spirits within it. Perplexed, she raises a single eyebrow in amusement, her lips twitching into a faint smirk as she watches her companion return her gaze with a playful twinkle in his eyes. 

Shaking her head, she lets a rueful smile take over her face, accepting the chalice he handed over to her as he poured some of the fragrant liquor he had gathered earlier into it, filling the cup to the brim. They lifted up their glasses, tapping the chalices of sweet-smelling alcohol together with bright smiles on their faces.

"To the future," Her companion booms, raising his glass to the sky. "And to all the things that will come from it."

And so the next few moments are spent drinking and laughing, trading stories from the past and hopes for the future, intoxicated by blissful dreams as the sun begins to rise. In those last few moments spent drinking in the sunlight, the young woman finds herself growing drowsy, both from the intoxicating liquor and the unhealthy hours spent staying awake to gaze up at the stars. 

Her companion pats her head once more, allowing her petite frame to clumsily lean onto his shoulder in a drunken stupor, starting to doze off. He drinks in the sight of her appearance, something that had hardly changed since they first met, even as the rest of the world changed around her. 

There wasn’t a single time when he didn’t find her to be so devastatingly beautiful. It was a pure beauty too, not something that could be explained with words, not something that could be called masculine or feminine; she was beauty itself. It wasn’t always something soothing, at times it was commanding— _demanding_ —and other times it was soft and mute.

She was a timeless beauty, tainted by the ages as her mind continues to carry a storm bred by sorrow. 

Such thoughts are commonplace for a man like him, who has seen this woman walk, talk, and fight beside him, both on and off the world's grand stage. Truly, they were two halves of a coin.

"I will miss you dearly, old friend." She murmurs, using the last bit of her remaining consciousness to speak to him, watching as the sun began to rise over the horizons of the silken sea. 

"As will I." He responds in return, pointing his gaze towards the very same sunrise that his companion had enamored herself with.

'If only this moment could last forever.'

Such a thought is far too fleeting for either of them to imagine, especially considering everything they've gone through. The gambles they've made, the hard, weighty sacrifices, all of the blood, sweat, and tears they've poured into this journey, it was all finally coming to an end.

"Sleep now, and dream," He says to her, watching as her eyelids began to close, her body beginning to relax into a state of unguarded tranquility. "When you awaken, the world will be waiting for you. It will have changed, as all things do, but it will be there, waiting for you to explore all that it holds."

His words put the young woman at ease, and he watches as she finally falls asleep before turning back to the rising sun. And during those remaining minutes spent by each other's side, he occupies himself with the thoughts swarming his psyche. 

There are many things he was able to do, to see, to accomplish in his lifetime. Yet there were just as many things that he hadn't. Just when they had reached one of the greatest points in their journey, it came to a standstill. And with that, the promise he had made to his companion came to an equally inevitable halt.

If only they had met at a different time and place to fulfill such a wish. Then he would have been able to grant her the happiness she deserved after all of their endeavors these past few years together. They had witnessed the way that the oceans had risen and how the oh-so-everlasting empires had fallen into place, weaving history-in-the-making at each other's side.

Although his journey would be coming to an end, her voyage was just beginning to set sail, the flags unfurling as the ship pointed its' course towards the shining future.


	2. I. TO THE WORLD THAT AWAITS HER AWAKENING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> together, they share a secret smile as they wish upon the stars.

[unedited]

It was quiet.

Far, far too quiet.

You begin to stir, attempting to shift your body but to no avail. You tried to open your eyes, but even that didn't work. 

It felt as though you were trapped inside of something, enveloping your entire form like a cocoon. Unable to budge even a single bit from your position, your face curved into a frown, your eyebrows furrowed as your eyelids remained shut, as though your body sought to betray your mind and sought everlasting sleep. No matter what you did, it was practically impossible to move even an inch from your position. 

Yet, despite the strange situation you've found yourself in, there is still a sense of docility within your being. Perhaps it is the vivid sensation of feeling as though you're in a dream, embraced by Morpheus himself.

For a moment, you can hear the calming rhythm of the waves enveloping your form, swaying back and forth like a mother's embrace. Despite the odd situation you've found yourself in, the call of the ocean puts you at ease.

...

You feel like you've been asleep for a long, long time.

Your consciousness was dipping in and out of you in a frenzied manner, dreams breaking the thin membrane of reality and delusion. A pair of [eye color] eyes moved erratically from behind your eyelids and your fingers unfurled and furled tightly underneath your grasp.

At last, you can hear something besides the column of sleepy breathes coming out of your throat and the rhythm of your own heartbeat. A clamoring of voices, soft at first, echoing around you but after a while, you're able to decipher them as the voice of one. 

Your lungs, once lured into entrapment begin to ease up a little, and you can feel warm rays of sunlight covering your form. You begin to shift around, roused from your dreamless slumber as the voice begins to become much clearer and easier to comprehend for you than before.

Released from steadfast Morpheus' embrace, you greet the world with a pair of [eye color] colored eyes, filled with vibrant wisdom and unwavering faith towards the future.

~*~

Venus, beloved deity of all things amorous and oh-so-passionate.

The queen of the senses, she, born of the sea-foam, known as the luminousness of the gleaming senses, the phosphorescence of the sea, the senses becoming a conscious aim unto themselves; She is the gleaming darkness, she is the luminous night, she is the goddess of destruction, and above all, all things everlasting. 

Legend tells that when she was born, she emerged fully-grown from the sea, riding a seashell of good tidings.

To think that such a myth would be coming to life in the form of your arrival was startling to anyone born with a rational mindset.

Coby, wide-eyed and befuddled, watched as a young woman emerged from the sea, the waves carrying her with tenderness towards the shoreline. 

Feeling as though he is dreaming, the rosy-haired boy lifts his hands up, pinching and squeezing at his skin until he is able to confirm that what he has just witnessed is not a mere figment of his imagination.

Hurriedly, he runs over to the slumbering drifter. As the young boy begins to lessen the distance between the two of them, he takes notice of the young woman's appearance.

She is beautiful, like Venus. Pulchritudinous and beguiling, she enchants all who bear witness to her being, bewitching all with little effort.

Yet she is nothing more than the size of a child, rivaling Coby's own petite stature. She looks to be no younger than that of someone still in her youth, maybe even younger. She is wearing a pure white sundress, crafted from finely woven silk, embracing every single part of it's' wearer's form.

Tenderly, he places a hand on her shoulders. The roseate-haired boy attempts to shake her awake, swaying her body from side-to-side as he begins to call out to her. 

Finally, after several failed attempts, the young woman rose from her slumber. A pair of [eye color] eyes greet him, leaving the rosy-haired boy at a standstill as he marveled at her unprecedented beauty.

It is said that eyes are windows to the soul, yet her's were shrouded in mystery. Bold, cunning, it is as though she were formed from steel, piercing through the young boy's soul with a single glance. 

A few more minutes pass until Coby is broken out of his stupor, realizing he's been holding into the young lady much longer than necessary. He sputters as he releases her from his grip, tripping over a plethora of apologies until the [eye color] eyed woman finally speaks.

"Who are you?"

It is not a tone of authority, bearing no ill will, but it leaves such a profound impact on Coby that he's left starstruck. Her voice is soft, like honeyed milk and twinkling bells, yet it carries a familiar strength to that of a battle-worn soldier, wielding conviction like a finely crafted blade. It betrays her appearance, which resembles that of a child, instead mirroring that of an adult, wizened and bearing maturity.

"Coby," He answers, surprised that he hadn't stumbled over his own name. "My name is Coby." 

Silence. The steely-eyed woman maintains her watchful gaze on the young boy in front of her, drinking in his words. She shifts around, slowly sitting up. Taking the time to survey her surroundings, she turns back to the rosy-haired boy in front of her.

"Where am I?" She inquires, taking note of Coby's appearance. He is young, she muses, nowhere near the age of adulthood. Bearing a scrawny figure aided by a pair of round spectacles, she can't help but feel a faint sense of pity for this young boy, carrying such a timid heart in a world full of harsh truths. 

"You're in the East Blue, near the bases of Iron Bludgeon Alvida's fleet. I'm a caretaker on her ship." Smoothly explaining everything, Coby observes how the young woman's facial expression has hardly changed since she first awoke, calmly taking in everything with the grandeur of a benevolent queen, wise beyond her years.

"W-What's your name?" And for a moment, the fear that fueled the rosy-haired boy's veins dissipates, watching as the lonesome drifter frowns, boring her stone cold [eye color] eyes into the ground in front of her. She purses her lips, opening her mouth to speak but closing them soon after without a single word slipping out of them.

"...I don't know," She murmurs, concentrating her gaze on the shoreline, the sapphire blue waves swaying back and forth like the hands of a grandfather clock, enveloping the flow of time. "I don't know." She recites these words once more, perhaps to herself in a blind attempt to remind her of the damage brought forth by her revelation and the consequences she must face.

~*~

"Coby! Where are my weapons?!" 

"C-Coming, Miss Alvida!" 

Nearly tripping over his own shoelaces, the roseate-haired boy scuttles off towards the booming voice while carrying a pack of razor-sharp weaponry in his arms. When he reached his destination, handing over the sharpened blades to the voice's owner, Coby is greeted by the click of a tongue and a stinging hiss from her heels, all combined with a rapidly burning sensation of pure humiliation from the woman in front of him.

Stout like a boar, Alvida peered down at the gaunt boy in front of her, trembling like a forlorn leaf left to the wind. Seeing that he's finished a majority of the tasks she's assigned him for the day, she turns around and with the wave of her hand releases him from his duties for the evening. 

Kneeling down in pitiful thanks, singing jubilant praises and whimsical lines until her presence fades from sight and sound, the young boy runs off with relief in his veins. Scurrying past the mounds of footsteps and seafarers blocking his path, Coby eventually reaches the entrance of a bountiful forest, a little further away from Alvida's ship, ensuring a pleasingly large amount of distance from the clutches of that madwoman.

Lifting up a small bundle carefully wrapped in beige fabric, the roseate-haired boy adjusted the spectacles on his face before pushing through a small group of bushes. The heavy, rough concrete he sped through earlier is replaced with copious greenery, the environment changing around the young boy as he ventured further into the woodlands, a bright smile on his face.

~*~

You lean your body onto the back of an oaken tree of monstrous size, resting your eyes for a bit. The flock of birds that inhabit the forest surround your form, singing songs of elated merriment while greeting one another. Some of them, along with the many other creatures that reside within the woodlands, have taken to your presence quite affectionately, frequently visiting you with the valued bounties of the forest or even taking naps beside you. 

They're full of warmth, greeting you with nothing but immense compassion for your wellbeing, much like the rosy-haired boy you'd met earlier. Bright-eyed and jubilant, you'd taken to the young man rather quickly, entranced by his amiable demeanor. Though, to be fair, it's not as though there was anyone else for you to communicate with besides the creatures of the forests, and even then, it's nowhere close to mirroring a conversation through the human language with someone else besides yourself as company.

_'He is kind,'_ You note to yourself, unconsciously allowing your lips to curve into a small smile at the thought of the young man. _'Bright and pure, like the first shining star that arrives in the night sky.'_

Nearly a week had passed since your arrival, and you'd taken refuge within the woodlands for the time being. There seemed to be no clear signs of your memories returning anytime soon, which was something you'd accepted, albeit begrudgingly. To think that you couldn't even recall your own name, your birthright...what a pitiful state you've found yourself in.

For a brief moment, you open your eyes to glance down at your hands, clicking your tongue with discontent clear as day within your tone. Your hands are small, petite and fragile, like a porcelain doll. Smooth to the touch, and as soft as a blissful sheep's velvety coat of fur. They feel terribly delicate within your eyes, and it doesn't help to know that your entire appearance resembles that of someone who's hardly even achieved adolescence yet, looking no younger than a happy-go-lucky schoolgirl still singing nursery rhymes while clapping her hands together like a pleased child, amused by the simplest of pleasures.

You weren't always like this.

You're weren't always so young, so fragile, so... _weak._

You get the feeling that you are older.

Much, much older.

You feel as though you've lived plenty of years farther than what the appearance of your body reveals to you, betraying your own sense of clear logic and rationality with even more befuddling riddles and complex puzzles for you to figure out.

The rustling of bushes and airy breathes alert you of someone else's presence entering your newfound sanctuary, and you slowly stand up, causing the rest of the birds surrounding your figure to scamper off, likely to find another place to doze off in. You recognize the newcomer's footsteps instantly, listening to their clumsy footsteps and the pattern of their airy breaths, huffing like a champion's racehorse. You wait a little longer, watching as a rosy-haired boy comes tumbling out of the bushes and allow him to catch his breath.

"Coby," You greet him kindly, giving him a curt nod in return when he lifts up a shaky hand to wave at you. You glance down at the bundle in his arms, a bit curious as to what in the world could be inside of it. "You seem well."

"Hey! You're here again today too! How are you doing?" Beaming, he wipes the droplets of perspiration from his forehead with the back of his hand before placing the wrapped bundle into your arms. You stare back down at it, as if unsure as to what you should do with it. Coby chuckles, amused by your childlike reaction, something that suits your youthful appearance much better than your demeanor, dismal as ever. 

"It's a gift for you! I found some spare food in the ship's storage, and some other neat stuff while I was traveling!" You focus your gaze on him for a few minutes, giving him your full attention before slowly prying open the bundle in your arms, untying the neatly-done knot keeping the package in place. You motion for him to sit down with you, patting the lush greenery that decorated nearly every single inch of the forest you resided in. Coby obliges wholeheartedly, watching with anticipation for your reaction to the gift he's given you.

You find that there's several pieces of food inside, such as a small loaf of freshly baked bread and a couple of tangerines. There are even a few trinkets inside, like broken fragments of jewelry and a pair of pastel seashells. They don't hold much of a purpose to you, especially when you live so close to the sea, but you appreciate the sentiment all the same. 

Although, those aren't the things that surprise you most. Underneath the pile of shiny souvenirs and consumables lays a large book. You lift it up after carefully pushing aside the rest of the items within the bundle, admiring the book's cover. It is made of fine leather, carefully binding all of the pages of writing from within the book altogether, keeping the pages in place. 

"...What is this?" Marveling at the sight of the leather covering of the hardback book in your hands, you try to find whether or not it bears an author or a title but find neither, greeted by the sight of faded writing on the front cover of the book, indicating its' age.

"It's an old book about navigation," Coby explains, watching as you begin to flip through the pages, taking in the colorful images of map markings and scribbled writings that littered each and every one of the pages within the storybook. "I had it for a while but I've read it so many times that I can recite the whole thing by heart!" His chest puffs out with pride, enthralled by his own knowledgable capabilities.

"I know you can't really go out much, so I thought that giving you something to read would be nice. You know, so you have something to do whenever I'm gone." He winces, not wanting to sound too harsh.

After finding your collapsed figure near the shoreline, Coby had decided to bring you into the forest where you'd be hidden from Alvida and her lackeys, fearing the worst for you if any of them found out about your existence. In order to prevent anyone from finding out about you, the rosy-haired boy had advised that you stay put within the woodlands, only able to travel as far as the nearby coastal lines at night or whenever Alvida's ship departed for travel. 

It wouldn't last forever, and you're sure that Coby knew this too. Living off the bounties of the forest while receiving the few scraps of food and various little trinkets that the rosy-haired boy gathered for you could only last so long. Eventually, you'd be caught or have to leave the area for good.

However, it was something you'd figure out at a much later date. For now, you would do your best to enjoy the time spent with your rosy-haired companion until destiny decided to change its' course. When you glance back at the young boy in front of you, you pause from your investigation with the newly prized bundle laying in your lap. You gently place a hand onto one of Coby's cheeks, startling him as the rosy-haired boy's face begins to turn a light shade of pink from your sudden movements.

"...You're hurt." You point out, stroking a thumb over the scorched marks on the side of Coby's face, frowning at the sight of it. He is quiet for a moment, before smiling at you.

"It's just a scratch from when I was running all the way here, might've tripped more than usual, you know how clumsy I am. Don't worry so much!" He laughs, placing your hand back down onto the leather book in your lap before conversing with you about his recent travels and where he'd gone today.

You stare back at him, nodding every now and then while listening to his stories, trying to ignore the obvious markings of a high-heeled shoe imprinted on the side of his face. You want to say more, to have him open up and tell you the truth even if he reassures you time and time again as he continues to bring you so many gifts during his visits, to tell him what you know. 

You know he is hurting. You know that every single time he visits you with an injury that could only come from the cruel hands of another, every single time he tells you that there's plenty of food to go around and to eat up when you can clearly see the way that his body begins to thin out like a wretched skeleton, every single time he smiles and holds your hands as though you're made of glass when he's the one beginning to break into pieces and lies to you, that you can see right through him and how his world is so, so much crueler than it should ever be for someone as kind as him.

Yet you keep silent, obeying his silent wishes for the time being. If it is the very thing that enlightens his being, then you'll relinquish your heart's wishes in favor of his own selfish desires for a little longer.

~*~

You spend the next few hours at the shoreline where the two of you first met, watching as the stars begin to descend from the night sky, beginning their jubilant dance around the moon, gleaming with elegance like always. Sitting next to your bright-eyed companion on one of the many rocks littering the sandy shores, you focus your gaze on the starry sky above you.

You stay like that a bit longer than usual, as Coby has informed you that Alvida, his abductor, had retired to her quarters much earlier tonight, exhausted by her crew's supposed festivities. It's the very reason why Coby was able to return to you with such a large bundle of food, fresher than usual.

He is like Pavlov's dog, you think to yourself. Forced to obey his master's every beck and call like an obedient dog, responding to their master's every whim with unspoken loyalty bred through desperation and utmost dependency. You glance back at him, watching as the roseate-haired boy stares up at the sky with a twinkle in his eyes that rivals that of the stars shining in the sky.

"Someday, when I can finally leave Alvida's ship, I'm going to become a Marine!" He announces, an exuberant smile on his face. 

"I'll become strong," He continues, still focused on the midnight sky in front of him. "And then I'll arrest bad people like Alvida once and for all!"

Coby doesn't waver when confessing his dreams for the future, not even a little bit. The blazing threads of pride and courage that pour out of his entire being feels familiar to you, and you can feel your heart soften at the sight of the euphoric expression on his face, brimming with everlasting passion and resolute conviction.

"...If you walk towards the future with a heart like that, then I'm sure you'll do all right." His eyes glimmer with even more radiance compared to before, enlightened by the sound of your compassionate words. Coby turns around, only to be overwhelmed by the sight in front of him.

You're smiling, [eye color] colored eyes brimming with tender generosity and utmost faith in his entire being, believing in his dreamlike visions of the future just as much as him, if not more. Wearing the finely woven fleece [fav. color] shawl that the roseate-haired boy had gifted to you shortly after your arrival, you pushed back a few strands of your silky [hair color] colored tresses adorning your face, complemented by the sudden gale of wind that blew across the waves along the shoreline, causing the ends of your snowy white sundress to flutter like the wings of a soft-hearted dove.

"Thank you," He answers you, tears beginning to spill out of his innocent eyes. "Thank you." Even as a river of tears begins to pour over his glasses, clouding his eyes from the ethereal vision in front of him, the young dreamer smiles, grateful to have such a wonderful friend in times as turbulent as this.

And so, as the two unfortunate victims of fate came to meet one another in a world born from ill-fated treachery and sorrowful realities, a bond transcending the ever-changing tides of destiny was formed underneath a starry sky, the moon and stars bearing witness to this very miracle happening right before them. 

Years later, as time passes, this meeting will be remembered forever and forever, timeless as ever with this very moment woven into their hearts, and they will tell themselves this: One shining night, years before, they came to a place where the moonlight stopped and change was among the stars.


	3. II. A SMILE LIKE SUNFLOWERS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a flicker of the past shines within her eyes. slowly, but surely, she finds one of many lights in her life.

[unedited]

It was a bright, sunny day within the East Blue.

The sun shone with the alluring radiance of a thousand beaming dancers, glittering like finely crafted jewels against the clear blue sky. A flock of seagulls sailed past a group of pure white clouds, taking in the refreshing gales of wind in the air. A fine day for sailing, if any.

On a remote island stood a lofty ship adorned in brightly colored hearts, carrying a crew of seafarers hoping to acquire the oh-so-desirable fountains of wealth that came with the blessings of the tides. A hand embellished in an abundance of lustrous jewelry slid across the handles of the ship, pausing to take in the specks of dust marring their bearer's fingers. 

"Why is there so much dust here?" A voice crooned, feminine and overbearing. A chorus of frightened gasps followed right after, and a group of panicky eyes greeted the owner of such a commanding voice.

"S-Sorry about that, Miss Alvida! I thought that I had already cleaned the whole deck! I-I'll clean it again, so...so please don't—!"

"Don't do what?" Before the poor man could even finish his words, he'd already been slammed down by the razor-sharp bludgeon in the woman's hands. 

"Coby!" A young boy jolted, hurrying over to the voice's owner as if he were a mindlessly obedient dog, following Pavlov's tune and every whim. "What's the most beautiful thing of all the seas?" 

"Ah, well, that'd be you, Miss Alvida!" He chirped, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind as large droplets of perspiration trailed down his body. 

"That's right! And that's why I absolutely hate dirty things! So I don't want the slightest bit of dust on my ship! Do you hear me?" The stout woman bellowed, continuing to bark out another set of orders for her lackeys. 

For a brief moment, Coby looks towards the bountiful forest nearby on his way to the storage room. He is deep in thought, nearly considering something before shaking his head in disagreement, heading out to finish another set of chores. Moments later, the salmon-haired boy came across a wooden barrel of substantial size and weight drifting along the waves near the rocky shoreline.

Adjusting the large, round spectacles on his face, Coby hurried over to lift the barrel out of the ocean. It was rather heavy, carrying a type of immense weight from within. Did it contain alcohol inside of it?

Placing it down onto the ground, the bespectacled boy rolled the wooden barrel into the nearby storage room. Perhaps it would appease to Alvida and allow him to be released from his duties a little earlier today, then he'd be able to resume his frequent trips with the [eye color] eyed woman living within the depths of the woodlands.

Feeling as though his heart is singing, the rosy-haired boy quickens his pace, nearly sprinting towards his desired destination in pursuit of today's dreams. The image of his beloved companion enters his mind, and a sense of excitement bubbles from within him.

~*~

Several months had passed since your arrival, and you'd found a number of ways to adjust to your new life, however long it'd last for the time being. On some days, Coby would come to visit you with a variety of gifts, each one far more thrilling than the last, but on other days, the young boy would be gone for days, sometimes even weeks, until the two of you would be able to meet again with one another. Such is the life of an abducted lackey like him. 

After one of your previous meetings with him, Coby had discovered that you had taken a liking to the books he gave you, seeing the way that your [eye color] eyes sparkled with a vivid sense of delirium the moment your eyes made contact with the papery novelties he brought to you. And so, whenever he came to visit you, Coby would bring along whatever books he could find to you from his travels, varying from educational textbooks to religious texts and hymns to storybooks woven with words of prized beauty and knowledge. You didn't seem to have a specific preference for whatever he brought you, treating each and every one of them with great care despite the delicate age behind each book he brought you, worn out from usage plenty of years ago. 

You had come to realize that although you lacked a majority of your memories, you retained a fountain of infinite knowledge within your mind. Reading through the various novelties that Coby had brought to you only confirmed this, seeing as you felt a sense of familiarity through scanning the writings included within each of the books you found. 

Whenever you read through the silken pages of the multitude of publications that you could garner, you found that those which sung of the sea's mysteries had carved themselves a holy sanctuary within the endless void deep within your heart, breaking through the cages of your ribs. 

Perhaps you had been a seafarer, once upon a time. 

The sea calls out to you, and you know you must make your move, someday, somewhere, _soon._

You currently laid within the wooden raft that Coby had worked on prior to your arrival while flipping through the pages of a child's storybook, the seafaring vessel something that he'd been planning to use should he ever be able to escape Alvida's clutches, offering it to you as a makeshift form of bedding until he could find something better for you, but you preferred the natural greenery surrounding you as your resting place. 

The raft was poorly made, some of its' fragments crooked and beginning to chip off at the ends, but you'd opted to refine the vessel to the best of your ability, using whatever materials you could find. It looked much better compared to before, resembling a proper seafaring vessel rather than the sloppily-done cluster of wood that it had initially appeared as.

A gentle breeze blew through the woodlands, greeting you with a tender kiss. The creatures of the forest that surrounded you curled up around your dainty form, providing you with a warm sensation of comfort that swelled within your chest. You looked up from the book you were reading, staring towards the direction of the sea. Your heart sings, as though it were trying to tell you something.

"The winds are beginning to change..." Murmuring your words with such softness, your [eye color] eyes lower for a bit, as if experiencing a newfound dream.

~*~

Coby wasn't exactly sure what had just happened.

While he was rolling out the wooden barrel from earlier, he found himself being ganged up on by his crewmates, cowering as one readied his fist to smash through the innocent wooden container, only for karma to get to him first and for the barrel's lid to explode into a cluster of wooden splinters as a young boy wearing a straw hat appeared seemingly out of nowhere and proceeded to whack him in the face with his arms.

"What a nice nap that was!" The strange boy cheered, startling the rest of the men surrounding him. He seemed to be around the age of a teenager, much like Coby, wearing an open red button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves and sky blue shorts. 

"...Huh, who are you?" The black-haired wanderer he asked, still sitting inside of the wooden barrel he had taken refuge in earlier. 

"Who the heck are you?!" The men shout, their eyes nearly bulging out from pure shock at what had just happened.

"Why would someone be coming out of a wine barrel?!" 

All of a sudden, a familiar razor-sharp bludgeon flew into the group's direction, a loud explosion following right after. It sent the strange boy sailing into a small forest, leaving the rest of the men in a messy haze. Pricks of fear surged through the rosy-haired boy's mind, fearing the worst for what might happen to him if he were to be caught by his abductor.

Hearing a familiar pair of domineering footsteps heading in their direction, Coby hurried to stand up on his own two shaky feet before heading into the direction of the mysterious boy from earlier, diving into a pair of bushes before stumbling towards wherever the straw hat boy had landed.

~*~

The clamorous sounds of an explosion pierce through the serendipitous environment of your sanctuary, stirring you wide awake. Adjusting to the welcoming rays of daylight after returning to your slumber, you realized that there was another pair of footsteps entering the forest. There was also a shrill voice from afar, booming like thunder throughout the forest, causing a flock of birds to run away towards the azure blue skies above as refuge. 

You narrow your eyes at the thought of someone unfamiliar entering your sanctuary, and you hopped off of the wooden raft to locate the newcomer. Some of the creatures that had rested beside you follow along, accompanying you on your trek throughout the woodlands. 

~*~

After what seemed like hours and hours of running, the peach-haired boy finally found the strange boy from before, still stuck in the same crate that the young boy had found him in. Placing the large roseate shell down on the ground, he hurried to check up on the boy in front of him. 

"U-Um, are you all right? Did you get hurt?" The young boy only laughed in return to Coby's inquiries, beaming up at him despite the uncomfortable situation he was in.

"Haha! I'm fine, just a little surprised, that's all. I'm Luffy. What is this place?"

"This is the breeding ground of the pirate 'Iron Bludgeon Alvida'," Coby explained, watching as the black-haired boy lifted himself out of the wooden barrel. "I'm a caretaker on her ship. My name's Coby."

"Do you have a boat around here? Mine got caught in a whirlpool."

"Whi-Whirlpool?! You were caught in a whirlpool and survived that?!" The rosy-haired boy sputtered, his glasses nearly falling off of his face from his sudden movements.

"Yup! Guess I was lucky!"

The rustling of the bushes and a pair of light footsteps entering the barren field within the forest startle the duo, and the carefree drifter watches as the rosy-haired boy's eyes flash like sparkling fireworks, as though filled with recognition. The very moment they locked eyes with the young woman with [eye color] eyes of steel, the world began to shift once more.

~*~

Birds with stone cold eyes mirroring those of the divine beings who foresee the world's fate stare back at the rosy-haired boy and his bright-eyed companion, perched on top of the weary head and shoulders of the body belonging to you. You appear before the duo as though you are formed from the essence of the godly ones, resembling that of the world's earthen mother with the way that the creatures of the woodlands surround your form like a being worthy of worship. 

Coby can't tell whether you're even a little surprised by the sight in front of you, veiled by the lofty branches of the trees. Then again, it's not often that your face changes from your usual expression, at least as far as he's concerned.

"Coby," You greet him, not even the slightest bit fazed by the bizarre chain of events that led you here, gently stroking the head of one of the many birds that rested on top of you. "Who is this?" You glance over at the newcomer, who tilted his head at the sight of you.

"Oi, Coby, who's she?" The dark-haired boy pointed straight at you, using his other hand in order to go gold-digging within his nostrils. If anyone else were to be treated like this by a stranger like him, surely they'd be offended by his lack of manners, but you hardly showed any reaction to what the straw hat-wearing boy had just done. Instead, you focused on the straw hat he wore, narrowing your eyes as though scrutinizing the object on his head.

There was something about the straw hat he wore that tugged at your heartstrings, like an old memory that lingered in the back of your head, once familiar to you in all of its' full glory but gone like a dwindling nightlight.

"Oh, this is...Well, she can't really remember anything because she has amnesia, so I don't really know her name..." Coby laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He'd gotten so accustomed to speaking to you without having anything to address you as that he nearly forget how strange it might have been in anyone else's eyes.

"A-Anyways, this is Luffy, he came here after losing his boat in a huge whirlpool." The rosy-haired boy introduced the stranger to you, and you gave a small nod in the young boy's direction. Luffy looked you up and down, scrunching his nose at the thought of something.

"Hey, lady, are you a magician?" His question made you perk up, a little befuddled by what came out of his mouth.

"Pardon me?"

"That!" He shouted, pointing even more closely at your face with wide charcoal black eyes. There seemed to something twinkling in his eyes, as though he'd discovered a trove of treasure. "The way you talk! Even though you look like a little kid, you talk funny like you're an old lady! Only a magician could do something like that!"

While it's true that you feel much older than the way you look like, you're not entirely sure if you fit the role that the shiny-eyed boy has given you. You tilt your head in confusion, repeating his words once more. After a brief moment spent deep in thought over the idea, you merely shrugged at the idea. 

"Assume what you like, it's not as though I have any evidence to counter what you claim." Luffy's eyes only seem to shine even more brightly at the sound of your reply, his joyful grin widening tenfold.

"You really _are_ a magician! That's so cool! Join my crew!" He lunges towards you, trying to grab at your shoulders but you take a step back before he can even touch you, dodging away from him with ease as the birds perched upon your petite form began to squawk in surprise at your sudden movements, ruffling their feathers in response. 

Luffy skid to the ground, his head digging into the dirt as though he were an ostrich. Coby panics, his eyes as wide as saucers before running off to check up on the onyx-haired boy. You sigh, shaking your head in disbelief at today's events before trailing after your rosy-haired companion. 

"A-Are you alright?!" Sputtering, Coby placed a hand on the dark-haired boy's shoulder with concern in his eyes. 

"Shishishi, you're pretty funny, lady!" Hardly fazed by what had just happened to him, Luffy beamed up at you when you walked over to him. His smile was like the sun: bright, warm, and just brimming with life.

You couldn't help but feel your heart softening at the sight of him.

Just a bit.

...What? You hardly even know this boy, how could you say you're already attached to him within less than an hour of meeting him?

After ensuring that the young boy hadn't acquired any wounds from his fall, he asked the two of you if there was a spare ship around the area. The trek back to the wooden raft wasn't very long, and you watched as Luffy stepped around it, staring it down like a keen-eyed hawk. 

"That's a boat I secretly built for two whole years..."

"Two years? You sure you don't want it anymore?" A wistful smile bloomed on the rosy-haired boy's face, and he walked over to place a hand on the raft.

"Yeah, I don't want it anymore. I was going to run away in this but I don't have the guts to do it...Looks like I'm going to be a caretaker for the rest of my life. Even though there's something else I want to do..." Laughing weakly, Coby thought back to the unfortunate chain of events that had brought him here. He'd only been planning to take a simple fishing trip yet here he was, crumbling under the hold of a merciless pirate's grip. 

"You're pretty stupid, aren't you?"

You blink in an owlish manner at how blunt his words are, watching as Coby turns into a stumbling, red-faced mess of a boy. As a barrage of insults rained down on him, you couldn't help but feel a tad bit of pity for the rosy-haired boy.

"Hey, Luffy, why are you sailing?" The young boy stared back at Coby, only to reply with a bright grin on his face.

"That's easy," He laughed, sitting down on the wooden raft. "I want to become the King of Pirates!"

His words are like liquor, setting your heart ablaze as your eyes begin to widen, staring back at the beaming boy in front of you. You don't think you've ever heard of such a title, at least as far as you can remember, but they feel so familiar to you to the point where you can't help but feel as though your heart aches and burns through your entire body. 

"T-The King of Pirates?! Are you telling me that you're looking for the world's greatest treasure―the One Piece?!" Coby sputters out, his eyes as wide as saucers. 

"Do you have a death wish?! All the pirates in the world are looking for that treasure! I-It's impossible! Utterly impossible! To become the King of Pirates in the Pirate Era ― There's absolutely no chance for you! No way! Absolutely utterly im―!" Luffy socked the rosy-haired boy, punching him right in the face as the glasses-wearing boy fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain.

You're not really sure what else to do in these type of situations, so you glance back at Luffy while heading over to check up on Coby for any major injuries. Kneeling down, you notice that there's a large bump in the middle of his forehead, swelling like a balloon. 

"Ow! Why'd you hit me?!" 

"Because I couldn't stand you!" He reminds you of a child, bluntly pointing things out with simple reasons like pointing out all of the things he likes or dislikes in a candy store. Plain and simple as a grain of sand; nothing more, nothing less.

"Besides, I'm not afraid of dying! Because it's my dream, and that's why I don't mind dying for it!" 

Coby is startled, taking in the onyx-haired boy's words like the stars dancing in the night sky. The words that he says are so straight-forward and clear, but he can't help but feel a sense of admiration and pure awe at the raw, unyielding determination behind such a thing. It makes him think of you, who's managed to carry on with the world's ever-changing tides of fate even when you have nothing left and wander the world as an empty slate, moving on with your life towards an unknown destination. 

Your hand is warm and soft, like a feather. Gently holding onto him and taking care of him all of this time, he realizes that you really are kind. Others may beg to differ, but Coby feels like you're one of the kindest people in the world. Where anyone else would surely laugh and scorn him for his dreams, you would be there to reinforce his beliefs, always.

The rosy-haired boy begins to feel tears pooling in his eyes, surprising you. You place a hand on him, checking over his injuries once more. Could the attack truly have hurt that much? It didn't seem like it earlier, so why now? Maybe a delayed-response towards the pain?

"Do you...Do you think I could become a Marine?" Coby blurted out, almost immediately before quickly slapping his hands over his mouth when he saw a slight change in your expression. It wasn't the first time you'd looked at him like that, as though you were a troubled mother hen ready to scold her chick. You always reminded him to stay strong and remain positive, even though there were times when that shadow of doubt clinged onto his back. Positive reinforcement seemed to be a key activity of bonding between the two of you, now that he thought about it.

"A Marine?" Luffy repeats, blinking owlishly at the rosy-haired boy.

"I know it means that we'll be enemies! But joining the Marines and catching the bad guys has always been my dream!" Coby's fists tighten, and the volume of his voice begins to gradually rise up and sounds as though it's booming through the entire forest.

"I have to at least try! I'd rather die trying to get out of here and join the Marines than stay here for the rest of my life! And then, someday, I'll be able to arrest someone like Alvida!" 

"Who do you think you're talking about, Coby?"

~*~

Within the span of a second came the landing of Coby's captain, a stout woman with midnight black tresses, bearing an iron club decked out in sharpened spikes. She aimed for the raft that the boy with roseate colored locks had worked so hard for, smashing his hopes, both figuratively and literally.

"Did you really think you could escape me?!" Alvida cackled, resting her metal club on her shoulders. The dark-haired woman surveyed her surroundings, taking note of the strange boy with the straw hat and you, someone who looks as though they're still a child. You're certainly beautiful in a doll-like way, she muses. Someone as enchanting as you will definitely fetch for a high price overseas. As the rest of her subordinates descended upon the three of you, a menacing grin formed on her face as she gestured towards Luffy.

"Are those the ones you hired to catch me? Sure as hell doesn't seem like either one of them could be Roronoa Zoro." Alvida's eyes narrowed, gripping tightly onto the club in her hand. "Now, before you die, what's the most beautiful thing in the sea, Coby?!"

Luffy picked at the gunks of mucus in his nostrils, pointing a sticky finger right towards Alvida while looking over at you and Coby, not even the slightest bit fazed the sudden change in your situation.

"Hey, who's this old hag?" His response startled all of you, causing everyone around you to stare at him as though he were clinically insane, wide-eyed and slack-jawed like a set of pop-up books. If it weren't for the life-or-death situation you were in right now, you'd probably chuckle at the sight in front of you. Alas, fate's mistress was rather unkind to you these days.

"You're a cocky son of a bitch, you know that?" Alvida snarled, glaring down towards the three of you as though she was one step away from pulverizing every single one of you. Returning her glare, you gazed up at the stout woman with a look that could freeze the entire world into place.

"I've heard an awful lot about you from Coby," The midnight black-haired woman perks up a bit, waiting to hear what else you'd say. Twirling a single strand of [hair color] hair in your hands, you surveyed your surroundings once more before looking right back at Alvida, that same look of nonchalance and indifference greeting her once more. "I must admit, the words coming out of his mouth simply don't match up with what's in front of me."

Coby's heart sank as he watched the way you interacted with the cruel woman who had captured him so long ago, fearful of what may come next. After all of this time, with everything you'd done for him, you couldn't possibly be giving everything up and move over towards Alvida's side, right? 

"For a moment, I'd have thought he was talking about a someone akin to the human race, but all I see in front of me is a noisy pig."

_'Ah, I'm going to die.'_

And with that, Coby's heart plunged itself into a sea of anxiety. While it was a relief to see that you still supported the rosy-haired boy, it was all the more terrifying to witness what you'd just done. 

Your words did nothing then add fuel to the fire, igniting the pools of rage and fury festering from within the captain of the Alvida Pirates, and you watched as she began to lunge towards you. Coby screamed your name, tears spilling down his face at the sight in front of him, as though this would be the very last time he'd ever see you again. 

You weren't scared though. No, not at all.

You were prepared for the attack, your body kicking into a fight-or-flight response as you braced yourself for impact.

All of a sudden, Luffy grabbed you by the shoulders and pushed you behind him, taking the brunt of the force from Alvida's iron club. You watched as the sharpened bludgeon did nothing more than bounce off the young boy in front of you, and your eyes widened at the sight. The black haired boy grinned once more, chuckling despite the dangerous situation he'd found himself in.

"Things like that won't work on me," Leaving no time for anyone else to react, he pulled his arm back before landing a punch on Alvida's face, sending her flying with the snap of his arm stretching back into place. 

Your heart felt as though it were ready to leap out of your chest, beating like crazy against your body. What he'd done just now...

You recognized it almost immediately, within a mere heartbeat. 

The scent of rubber, the sea, the bountiful fruit of the sinners.

"A devil fruit," You murmured, staring back at the straw hat-wearing boy in front of you with amazement clear as day in your clear [eye color] eyes. "You ate one."

Luffy grinned down at you, his charcoal colored eyes twinkling like stars. He laughed with so much joy that it made your heart melt, surging with remembrance.

_"Let's sail out to sea someday!" He said, clasping your hands between his own. His laughter reminded you of twinkling bells, so bright and shiny that it felt as though every single one of your worries had finally slipped away once and for all. You wanted to linger beneath that warmth once more, just a little longer._

_"We'll find a big ship and a reliable crew," He sang these beautiful, beautiful words to you as he held your hands, dancing all around the field of flowers that blossomed around you. "And we'll all go on a big journey!"_

_"Just you wait, [Name]! I'll become the king of the pirates!"_

~*~

"Hey, are you okay?"

You looked away from the endless depths of the ocean to face the rosy-haired boy that sat right beside you, gently placing a hand on your shoulder. You glanced around at the small stack of books that sat near your form, and the starry-eyed boy with the straw hat, resting atop of the ship without a single care in the world.

After he had knocked out Alvida, the rest of her subordinates fell into disarray. Luffy had ordered them to prepare a small boat for the three of you, along with an abundant amount of supplies that would last you all the way towards the nearest marine base, where Coby would aim to take the first few steps in fulfilling his dream. 

Placing a hand on your cheek, you realize you'd been crying. It wasn't as though you'd been wailing non-stop or anything, but ever since you realized that Luffy had eaten a devil fruit and looked down at you so kindly, so sweetly, there was something about him that made your heart feel as though it had sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Wiping away the endless amount of tears that had cascaded down your face, you nodded towards the young boy sitting beside you, quietly thanking him for worrying about you. His cheeks a bit flushed, Coby bobbed his head up and down before focusing his eyes down towards his shoes, suddenly finding them awfully interesting. 

He was unsure as to whether or not he should ask you about it, but ever since Luffy had arrived on the island, Coby noticed that you'd become much quieter than before. It was worse than usual, and he honestly had no clue what to do about it.

Every single time you laid your eyes upon the straw hat boy, it looked as though your heart was breaking into pieces. Sad, wistful, mournful. None of these words could ever compare to the amount of heartache that had blossomed on your face. 

It was the first time that he'd ever seen you cry.

And he had no goddamn clue what to do about it.

~*~

"Luffy, you said you were looking for the 'One Piece', right?" The black-haired boy perked up at the sound of that, turning towards the salmon-haired boy that sat next to you. When he nodded, Coby gulped.

"T-Then, that means you'd have to get into the Grand Line, right?! But that place is known as the pirates' graveyard!" 

"Yeah, that's why I need a strong crew," Luffy replied, sitting atop of the figurehead of the boat. "And one of them is being held at the place you're going to."

"You don't mean...Roronoa Zoro?" When all he gets is a wide grin as a response, Coby begins to panic again.

"You really want to recruit him?" It was a rhetorical question, but when Luffy responds with a simple "maybe, we'll see," the rosy-haired boy can feel another migraine coming in. "I've heard he wanders all over the place and hunts down fugitives, that he's a a demon wearing the skin of a man."

"Is he a good person?" The questions that come out of Luffy's mouth is mind-boggling for anyone with even an ounce of common sense left. You can't help but wonder exactly how many times this boy had been dropped on his head as a newborn.

"If he got arrested, then there's no way he could be a good person! You must be dreaming again!" No matter how many sensible things come out of Coby's mouth, there's no way to successfully convince the young man in front of him just how ridiculous his goal could be.

You watch as the duo banter back and forth, another string of memories pulling at the back of your head. You smile at the sight of them, feeling a little better than before. It helps to have someone like Luffy around you, someone that can make you forget about the millions of issues you have for even the briefest of moments. A little later, once the two of them have quieted down, Luffy looks over at you, a curious look in his eyes.

"So, what are you going to do now?" You blink in an owlish manner, taking in his words rather carefully.

You place a hand on your chin, looking back at a pair of pitch black eyes that twinkle like stars in the midnight sky, staring at you with wonder and amazement. There's an air of childlike innocence that surrounds him, clear as day, like the way he wears all of his emotions on his sleeves. Luffy has another one of those goofy little grins on his face again, this time filled with excitement, eagerly anticipating your answer.

His smile reminds you of sunflowers.

It reminds you of of a warm hug,

It reminds you of home.

~~It reminds you of _him._~~

_hisgrinremindsyouofthesunsobrightandcomfortingandfreenotasinglecareintheworldyouwishohyouwishyoucouldfeelthesamewayforeverandforeverbutyouresoemptyandaloneyoudontevenknowwhoyouareanymoregodcansomeonepleasejusttellyouwhoyoureallyare_

You remember the visions you had earlier when you locked eyes with him earlier. Of a bright-eyed young man with dreams and a smile as big as the sky and sea. You remember the feelings of warmth that bloomed within your heart, the way that the galaxy suddenly sparkled from deep within your eyes when you heard _his_ voice, _his_ dreams, _his_ heart. 

You remember your _name._

"[Name]." You say out loud, alerting the duo. "It's [Name]. My name is [Name]." 

You repeat it a few more times, burning that very arrangement of letters into your heart, holding it close and bury it deep within your mind and heart and soul so you never lose it again. This is your name, your keepsake, all that remains of you.

Luffy says your name out loud too, repeating it over and over again like a parrot. His face scrunches up when he says your name, but suddenly, he brightens up almost instantly, laughing in a way that makes those soft, warm feelings well up from within your heart all over again.

"[Name]," He says once more, swinging back and forth on the figurehead of the boat. "It suits you!"

"Well then, [Name], what're you going to do now? Coby wants to become a Marine, but what about you? Got any dreams you wanna chase after?"

You look over at him again, before gazing towards the gentle ocean blue waves of the sea and the radiant sun shining from above, deep in thought again. What do you want to do now? You had nothing but a name and a stack of worn-out books to call your own, and an empty chest void of whatever memories you once held close to your heart. 

All you could remember was that you were once someone, now no one. 

Only the brightness of the sun and the depths of the deep blue sea remained by your side. 

Just like a smile that reminds you of sunflowers and sweet dreams.

"The sun," You answered him, making the straw hat boy tilt his head in confusion. He wants to say something, but there's something that stops him when he sees that bright spark in your eyes, glistening beneath a pair of [eye color] gems brighter than any shining sea. "I'm chasing the sun."

As the wheels of destiny began to turn, the ship of dreams began to change course.


	4. III. SKY BLUE VISIONARY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what, pray tell, lies beyond the horizon for you and i?

[unedited]

The sea is full of mysteries, you muse to yourself, holding a single card to your lips. 

It's been an interesting journey so far, what with everything that's happened up to now. Perhaps you made the right choice after all, choosing to stay by Luffy's side. Your life has certainly become much livelier and far more enthralling than before, back when you did nothing more than sleep, eat, and dream within a woodland sanctuary.

You've encountered plenty of strange and mysterious oddities on your journey thus far, and you can only imagine what will come next. Contrary to the others' beliefs, you felt nothing more than a surge of excitement about what could be right around the corner.

The sea was unpredictable, forever enchanting. No foolish beliefs bred by mankind could ever hope to chain her down.

You glanced over at the deck of cards in your hands, taking a small break from gazing towards the bright blue waves caressing your ship. It was a stack of tarot cards you had received from a fortune-teller, an elderly woman who's eyes sparkled like that of a bright-eyed youth the moment she first laid eyes upon you when you first entered her shop.

It was back on the first island you had encountered after departing from the headquarters of Alvida's crew, the town that held the Marine's base which Coby had been hoping to join. Initially held within the grasp of the tyrannous lieutenant of the Marines, 'Axe Hand' Morgan, he was soon defeated and cast aside towards the sea like a fleck of dust captured by the wind, all thanks to Luffy.

Taking the time to stock up on a few more items before departing from the island, you had chosen to take a small tour around the place, just for the sake of sight-seeing. The young girl you had encountered on the island, a sweet girl by the name of Rika, had mentioned to you that there was an elderly woman who lived on the outskirts of town, one that she'd been asked to deliver a meal to.

You opted to deliver the small bundle for her, patting her head when she hugged you before running off to go help her mother with the chores. Such a darling, that girl. 

The trek towards the outskirts of the town was hardly a feat in itself, only a mile or two away. Entering the small shop, you were greeted by the intoxicating aroma of incense that filtered the room, making you feel a bit sleepy. Sitting behind a small, ornate table with a crystal ball shining atop of its' surface was an elderly woman dressed in exotic garments. She must have been a traveler, seeing as the way she dressed and spoke felt so much more otherworldly to you than the rest of the people living on the island. Layers of tribal tattoos and patterns decorated her entire body, and there was something about the way she spoke that indicated that she carried a type of accent with her, something foreign yet awfully familiar to you. 

She had told you that you were like Icarus; bright, bold, beautiful, and oh-so-blissfully ignorant, having loved the sun so much that the sea devoured you whole. Perhaps she was right about that, but here you were, standing before her as the sole survivor of such a tragedy. She'd laughed when you had told her that, her cloudy grey eyes twinkling with mirth. 

It felt as though the two of you had known each other for ages. Although the two of you were worlds apart in age and had clearly never met before, there was something that made you feel as though the two of you were kindred spirits, understanding one another perfectly. Before you had departed, she had given you the deck of tarot cards that now laid in your hands.

"Should you ever encounter my kin throughout your journey, bade them hello from this old canary." She laughed, the wrinkles on her face crinkling every so often with her movements. You tucked them away somewhere safe, re-adjusting the [fav. color] shawl adorning your body and the sunhat you had recently purchased from one of the nearby boutiques in the area.

"And your name? Shouldn't I tell them that as well?" Chuckling, the fortune-teller waved her hand in a dismissive manner. 

"Show them the cards if needed. My people never forget one of their own."

Such an odd woman that fortune-teller was. Sharing so many jokes and light-hearted conversations with you despite that dull fragment of sadness that she carried deep within her heart. You wonder if you'll meet more people like her in the future. Fiddling with some of the tarot cards that laid in your lap, a pair of footsteps from nearby causes you to look up.

"My, what a surprise to see you here!" You chuckle, shuffling around to take a seat on one of the many barrels strewn across the ship. Flipping through the pages of a small book with a leather-worn cover, you placed a bookmark down before facing the newcomer. Shuffling the deck of cards in your hand, you closed your eyes for a brief moment, deep in thought. You hummed a small tune you'd heard during your travels, placing a hand on the set of cards in front of you, emptying your mind as you allowed the vitality of the cards to flow through you. 

"Well then," Slowly opening your eyes up, you peered down at the assortment of cards that laid in front of you. "I wonder what story we'll hear today?

▃▃▃▃▃

**0\. the fool**

You knew there would come a day where the two of you would walk down a separate path, but you hadn't suspected it'd be so soon. 

There was Coby, the sweet, rosy-haired boy, heading towards the bright blue building that houses his beloved Marines. Off to make his dreams come true. 

You've known that boy for years now, and when you watch him stand near the group of soldiers clad in pristine white and navy blue uniforms, standing firm as he salutes you, you can't help but feel as though something's pulling at your heartstrings. It feels as though you're a mother bird watching your hatchling leave the nest. 

You walk towards him, your pure white sundress billowing around you. When you stand right in front of him, you can see the little rows of tears pricking his eyes, the single line of snot about to drip from his nose, the way that he clenches down on his teeth. Gently, you wipe away his tears and smile, placing a hand on his head. It's a rather comedic sight, seeing as the two of you are almost identical in terms of height. 

"Stand tall," You tell him, caressing the rosy-colored locks on his head as he stifles a cry. "And all of that which you dream of will come true."

"You'll do great things, Coby." And with those last words, you walked back towards the little boat of dreams carrying a stubborn swordsman and a bright-eyed captain, walking down your own path. 

It's been a couple of months since he last saw you, but Coby can't help but feel like he just saw you yesterday, resting against a large oakwood tree while surrounded by a flock of birds. He's been doing his very best to make you proud of him, enduring every single thing that the Marines throw at him. Compared to the times when he labored away under the clutches of Alvida's crew, this is nothing he can't handle.

The night has fallen, bathing the soldiers' base in a soothing blanket of shining stars. Coby's staying up late again, using a small flashlight to read through a book on techniques for navigation. It's the same exact copy as the one he gave you, he realizes. The only difference is that the one he gave you was much more worn-out, already tearing at the seams while the one he's reading, propped up against his pillow, is in pristine condition.

He thinks back to the delicate hands that weaved through his rosy-colored locks, holding his scrawny hands within their own. He remembers the way you treated each and every one of the gifts he gave you with overwhelming tenderness, cradling them within your arms as though they were your own children. 

His heart burns with determination, and the thought of your warm, beautiful smile when you said goodbye only fuels his desire to meet again. This time, Coby thinks to himself, clutching his fists, trembling with excitement, he'll be the one to protect you.

That night, Coby dreams of a young woman with soft [hair color] hair and gentle [eye color] eyes, sweetly murmuring how proud she is of everything he's accomplished.

▃▃▃▃▃

**1\. the chariot**

Zoro doesn’t know what to make of you. Or… maybe he does.

You're a strange woman. A quiet presence, yet at times, absolutely deafening. Eats very little. Hard to tell what you're thinking. Finds the easiest way to slip out of a fight, but sure as hell loves to start one. Never quite saying what you mean, never quite meaning the things that you do. And perhaps a lot more perceptive than you let on.

On the other hand, his captain is completely different.

Exuberant, loud. Eats a lot. Wears his heart on his sleeve. Not afraid of a fight. Says what he means, and means the things that he does.

The two of you are like night and day, but sometimes, it feels like you fit together like puzzle pieces. Luffy adores you; calls you his 'magician', listens to every single thing you say like they're your very last words. There's an entire galaxy that sparkles deep within his captain's eyes when he looks over at you, and that million-watt smile of his only intensifies further than before.

He's not really sure what is about you that makes Luffy like you so much, but he has to admit, you _are_ pretty interesting.

The way you talk is weird too. You remind him of poetry; flowery and self-righteous. Speaking in complicated words and sentences like divine prophecies and elegant phrases bathed in smoothly-woven silk, murmuring things as though they're a soft-spoken lullaby.

You're like an enigma, enchanting everyone you meet. At first glance, you look like a petite doll that weighs nothing more than a measly feather (which you _do_ , considering the number of times he's had to carry you and his captain around whenever you got into trouble. Sometimes he worries that he might drop you considering how light you are, so he usually tries and tucks you under his arms so he'll know that you're definitely there with him and didn't get swept away by the wind), but it's your _eyes_ that pull people in.

Dreamlike, luminous [eye color] eyes that look as if they could pierce through your heart and soul. 

Zoro's not much of an admirer of beauty, but even _he_ can tell that there's something about you that deserves to be shown to the world.

You and your captain are an awfully strange pair. But at the end of the day, no matter how many differences the two of you have with one another, the two of you carry a kind of presence that lures anyone in. He can only imagine what other kinds of people the two of you will attract with your radiant personalities in the near future.

In the short time that you’ve known each other, Zoro has been convinced to join a newbie pirate crew of three, even when he’s already denied the invitations of so many larger and more powerful organizations. He’s always believed that they would only hold him back.

But somehow, he’s got a good feeling that Luffy won’t. Monkey D. Luffy has got some powerful charisma, that much is certain.

Still, you're only at the starting line. At the moment, your so-called pirate ship is pretty much a little dinghy just barely big enough for the three of you, and you’re floating out on the open ocean to who knows where.

“Hey, Luffy,” Zoro calls out over the side of the boat. “Where are we supposed to be heading next?”

Sitting cross-legged atop of the figurehead of the boat, watching you flip through another one of the books in your little stack sitting upon the dinghy, Luffy looks back up towards the swordsman. Droplets of sweat were plastered to his forehead, and he has a thoughtful look on his face, scratching his chin as he responds, “Eh, I dunno. But I’m sure we’ll get to where we need to be soon enough!”

Luffy is a free spirit to his core, it seems.

“But next, we’re gonna need a navigator,” his captain decides, watching you flip through the pages of a leather-worn novel. You hum a small tune as you continue to read through the book in your hands, tracing the ink-woven words every so often with a delicate smile on your face. “I dunno much about navigating. What about you?”

Zoro shrugs. “I usually just hitch a ride on merchant ships.”

The two of them look towards you, sitting oh-so-gracefully above the dinghy. You have that same look on your face. The one where you look like you're at peace with the world around you.

"I know quite a bit about navigating, but if we're going to be heading towards places further down the Grand Line with a crew even larger than the one we have right now, we ought to seek out one with the proper skillset."

“So we need a navigator,” Luffy repeats absentmindedly. He’s looking up at the sky, so Zoro looks up too. The sun is bright above them, and there aren’t any birds he can see. He’s heard before that when seagulls are around, land should be nearby. Eventually, he hears you ask, “Zoro, can you swim?”

Zoro glances over to you again. “Well enough. Why, you wanna race?”

You laugh at the sound of his suggestion, but you shake your head. “Later, maybe. But, what I meant to say is that if we get any more devil fruit users on the crew, we'll need to keep them out of the ocean. And if they fall in, we’ll need to be ready to dive in and save them, alright?”

“...Uh, sure?” Brows furrowed, he stares at you, who's been carefree as ever, continuing to scan the faded pages of the storybook in your hands with a strange tenderness in your actions. He asks, “Why, though? Do people with devil fruit powers usually just don’t bother learning to swim or something? Seems stupid.”

“It’s not that,” You deny. “Once you eat a devil fruit, you can't swim anymore. And if you end up in the water, you won't be able to use your powers because you'll only get weaker, until you sink to the bottom of the sea like a rock," Your eyes suddenly narrow, deep in thought as you peer up towards the shining sun in the sky. "Such is the fate of those who consume the sinner's fruit scorned by the ocean's waves."

So that’s the price of a devil fruit ability. Zoro absorbs that information like a newly-bought sponge, filing it away for later use. They’ll surely run into more people with devil fruits in the future, and with how wacky just _Luffy’s_ power has proven to be, this may end up proving to be useful someday.

He looks at where your hand is gripping the book, the ocean's breeze sailing through your soft [hair color] tresses. It's not like you've eaten any devil fruits before, which you obviously haven't, but it's a little strange to see how you take every odd thing that's occurred during your journey with such stride. Somehow, you understand everything yet know nothing about yourself. It's easier for you to adapt and blend in with the world around you without a single misstep, as though you've been changing and unchanging through the passage of time without losing a beat. Somehow, it's like you always know how to fit into whatever picture gets thrown at you. 

~~It's almost like you're not even _human_.~~

Talking in silky words and encountering everything with a calmer mindset and larger amount of knowledge than most, all combined with that childlike figure of yours, the swordsman can't help but wonder what kind of life you've been living this whole time.

He takes the plunge and questions, “Is she always like this?”

Luffy lets out a _shishishi_ laugh. “Probably. She's a magician, after all!”

“Uh-huh,” Zoro says, unconvinced. To be such an oddity in a world full of contradictions, there must be more to it than that, but you're clearly not up to sharing secrets anytime soon. At least, whatever else you can remember. Not having any memories leftover must be hard, but you seem to be taking it in stride.

Zoro can be patient. After all, you’ve only just set out to sea. There will be plenty of opportunities to learn more about this trick of yours, he’s sure.

Just then, Luffy’s eyes go wide, and he sits upright to point up at the bright blue sky. He cheers, laughing with a contagious amount of joy in his voice.

“Zoro, look! A bird!”

▃▃▃▃▃

**2\. the hermit**

You're not entirely sure as to how you should feel about the current dilemma that's running through your head.

If you were to encounter someone that doesn't seem like anyone you've ever met before, but still feels awfully familiar, does that mean they're someone you actually know?

When you encounter a red-nosed pirate with a rambunctious way of laughing and an exuberant personality who ties you up and throws you into a cage with your beloved captain, that's exactly how you feel. Buggy, he calls himself, cackling as he stares down at the two of you from atop his throne of barrels. He has a very vibrant personality, you think to yourself, shifting from one emotion to another like the way a river flows from one path to the next. 

Surely someone as odd as him would be hard to forget, right? With that motley crew of his and the silly way he dresses, you most certainly would not forget someone like him.

(Though, you might just be underestimating the boundaries of your amnesiac state.)

There's no way you could have been close with this strange abductor of yours, not with the terrible things he's done to the poor villagers that he's been terrorizing for so long. Yes, definitely, you would never get along with someone as cruel as him.

For a brief moment, though, while there's a small bout of festivities taking place for a newcomer joining their crew, the red-nosed pirate comes over and leans into the little prison cell he's trapped you in. He has a hand on his chin, scrutinizing you as if there's some kind of treasure chest buried inside of your stomach. He mutters something underneath his breath, something important, but before you can ask him about it your comrades have already arrived at the scene to save you from this wicked mess.

Still, though. When you encountered him that day, you felt like there was something awfully familiar about that strange red-nosed man. It was on the tip of your tongue, something that was hard to describe but definitely something you knew.

Just _what_ could it be―?

"[Name]! Come and read this story again!" Your captain calls out to you, shoving something right into your face.

It's a picture-book. One with a cartoonish-looking man that has a big red nose. The story is about a silly clown who travels across the great blue sea, looking for a way to make everyone laugh. There is a wacky look on his face, his eyes looking as though they're ready to bulge out of his skull as a hungry shark lunges towards him.

_Ah._

Now you remember.

▃▃▃▃▃

**3\. the magician**

If a person who makes up mysteries encounters someone made of mysteries, what happens?

In the case of you and the brave warrior by the name of Usopp, it means that the two of you will get along swimmingly. 

You're a strange little lady who loves hearing stories, and he's a silly young man who's brimming with them. When he first encounters you near the shorelines of his hometown, he's a little baffled to see someone as pretty and delicate as you standing next to a bunch of brawny men like Zoro or Luffy, or someone with a dangerous temper like Nami. Compared to the rest of your comrades, you look a little too prim and proper to even be considered a pirate. Alas, here you are, a bona fide pirate in the flesh. 

Despite the odd traits you have, the king of snipers thinks you're a good person. You're rather docile, spending most of the day sleeping away, or reading another one of the many storybooks you have aboard the ship, sometimes even conversating with the others. It's like you're the mother of the ship, tidying things up here and there while asking about how everyone's day had been, offering up a few snacks and finely brewed drinks. 

You remind him of Kaya, his friend back home in Syrup Village. 

Although neither of you looks one bit alike (most certainly not in height, you're probably barely an inch or two above the kids in his hometown) or share the same lifetime experiences, you always have this type of tenderness around him. You quietly ask him about his day, how he's doing, and what type of stories he's brought along with him today. 

You have a very soothing presence, and any nerves he feels when traveling with the others somehow find themselves swept away by the wind. There's this awfully pretty smile you have on your face whenever you listen to his stories, and it looks so much like Kaya's smile to the point where Usopp has to rub his eyes and blink once or twice to make sure it's really you who's sitting across from him.

You seem far more wondrous than the countless delusions of grandeur that he's concocted all of these years, and your presence makes for a far more exciting tale than anything he's ever heard of. You're a very mysterious person, he concludes, and he wonders what mysterious tricks you'll surprise him with in the future.

You think he's rather odd, but compared to the colorful cast of characters you've encountered prior to meeting him, he's rather mild in comparison. Underneath the layers of silliness and myriad of fantasies lays a very sweet boy full of dreams. Usopp has a kind heart, and he helps in brightening your day along with the others. For a young boy who spent a great deal of his life crying wolf, he has a tender heart that needs to be properly taken care of. You'll do your best to nurture it, like the cute little row of potted plants you've been collecting along your journey.

Usopp knows a great deal when it comes to caring for plants, you discover rather quickly. Whenever the crew drops anchor and takes a little tour around the latest hotspot in the area, Usopp tends to accompany you during your shopping trips and helps with carrying whatever luggage you have around, like the perfect gentlemen.

He usually finds himself lifting up a couple of bags of fertilizer or some empty flower pots, sometimes even a couple of books or a hulking mass of sweets delicately placed inside a couple of dozen of boxes. The two of you like to work on your little garden together, tending to it every single day with utmost care and dedication while he gives you a few tips and pointers every now and then on what kind of plants work best with this or that. 

He's a very kindhearted boy who's full of amazing fantasies, inventing as many magnificent machinations as he does while weaving the most grandiose of stories. You're rather excited to see what magic tricks he'll fascinate you with next.

▃▃▃▃▃

**4\. the tower**

Sanji finishes up another round of preparatory work for the evening's meal, placing a pair of kitchen utensils down to rinse off his hands. He hums a small tune as he pours a bottle of soap into his hands, dipping them into the mounds of warm water running in the sink. Wisping streams of smoke spill out from the far corner of the room, marking his presence. The dining table was already set for tonight's feast, pristine plates and shining sets of silverware decorating the surface. Everything was neat and orderly, just the way he liked it.

The blonde chef pokes his head out the door, signaling to everyone that dinner was ready. As he waits and listens for the sound of thundering footsteps entering the room, he smiles. Watching everyone pour into the room while taking seats at the dining table fills him with a sense of warmth, beaming at the sight of everyone marveling at his cooking and digging into their meals with wide grins on their faces.

It's not until a few minutes later does he realize that you're missing.

Sanji frowned, filled with confusion. How hadn't he noticed earlier? You always were the first one to greet him wherever you went, always sliding past the doors to the kitchen to aid him with preparing the meals with a sweet smile on your face. He glimpses through the round window built into the door leading to the ship's deck, catching sight of you leaning over the handles of the ship.

Wordlessly, he finds himself standing right beside you, gazing up at the milky white stars in the midnight sky. There's a certain beauty to the black tar that calls itself the night sky, decorated with tiny pinpricks of light that twinkle and glimmer dimly within the foreground. The sapphire-eyed chef stared down at you from afar, watching as you began to braid your hair, humming to yourself an unnamed song of a foreign tongue.

" _A 'níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí_. **[1]** " You combed through your hair with great tenderness, careful not to snag it with your fingernails. 

" _A mháithairin mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé_ , **[2]** " You continued, weaving into a lock of hair one of the pale flowers that had recently come into bloom amidst the rest of the bounties buried within your garden. It rolled off the tongue so sweetly — although a bit rough in pronunciation, but you found it to be a calming tune, something that helped ease you in the passing of time since you'd awakened in this world.

Sanji started to doubt coming out of the kitchen. He didn't want to interrupt your daydreaming and trouble you. Should he come back later?

Just as he began to pull away and laid his hand on the doorknob leading to the dining hall, you paused. Tilting your head, you turned to look up at Sanji with surprise as clear as day within your deep [eye color] eyes. Frozen as a statue, he stared back at you.

"Sanji?" 

Like the first strike of lightning, Sanji's surprise quickly transformed itself into delight. He slowly took in a deep breath, unconsciously adjusting his tie before scampering up to you, offering up a bright grin in greeting.

"[Name]-chan, that song was absolutely stunning! I didn't know you could sing so beautifully!" You smiled, laughing softly as a long list of praises formed from his lips. You placed a hand on your mouth, trying to muffle the upcoming bouts of laughter at the sight of his childish excitement.

"That's very kind of you, Sanji. I appreciate your thoughts." You spoke, giving him a small polite bow of your head.

"Anything for you!" He chirped, straightening his posture. Scratching his cheek in lovelorn bashfulness, he looked down at you, calmly waiting for whatever else he might say with the overwhelming patience of a saint.

"If you don't mind me asking, what song is that? Is it something from home?"

You freeze up, your lips curving downwards. Eyes sullen, you looked out towards the ocean's waves down below, a downcast expression on your face that made you appear as though you were so far away from the world around you. This was a look that he'd seen blossom on your face every once in a while, whenever it came to bringing up the past. It reminded him that there were so many things that he didn't know about you. You understood much but bore it silently. Your aloof, finely chiseled features, your calm lucid eyes, often bore an expression which faintly resembled pain — an inner secret pain which you yourself could never quite define.

"I don't know." You murmur, eyes narrowing with softness at yet another thing you couldn't remember about yourself. "It's hard to remember anything else about my old life."

Sanji stared, agape at the sight in front of him. It wasn't the first time that something like this had happened, but it always seemed to spread a contagious plague of guilt through any of those who were able to bear witness to such a lowly state for you to be in. Gathering his bearings, he settled on a more resigned expression, features softening as he looked to you with thoughtfulness.

"I don't think it's bad to not know about yourself. I mean, the journey's only beginning, right?" You look up at him, curious as to what he might be trying to say. Chuckling softly, he scratched at the back of his head in a sense of bashfulness.

"I mean, if it were that easy for everyone's wishes to come true, none of us would have needed to meet each other in the first place!"

Eyes widening at the sound of his words, you find yourself smiling again, humming thoughtfully. Of course, if such a dream could be granted so quickly, you wouldn't be where you are today, surrounded by so many people who have become a home to you.

"Sanji," The chef perks up, looking over at you. "What's your dream?" 

He grins at the sound of your question, happy to share something so meaningful for him with you. Resting his arms on the railing of the ship, he tells you about an ocean of dreams; of a mystery older than time itself; of the soothing sound of the waves, the smell of sea salt, the light blue color that blends in with the sea and the sky as beautiful shells and pearls decorate the lanes of coffee-colored sand between your toes.

It makes you feel a little close to home than you'll ever realize, and you smile dreamily at the thought of every beautiful thing he tells you.

“The All Blue, huh?”

As the ship sails further away, you turn to him with a confident smile and a twinkle in your eyes, beaming bright underneath the evening's moon.

Stating it aloud as if it were already a fact, as though you were writing it into the stars with your words alone, you simply tell him, “You’ll find it someday, Sanji. I know it.”

And just from that alone, Sanji thinks so, too.

▃▃▃▃▃

**5\. the moon**

There is far more to the world than what you know now.

The ocean hides its' secrets deep within its' heart, burying all thoughts of pure knowledge and unbridled wisdom beneath the milky white waves that adorn the strange world that surrounds you. Within them lay the secrets of man, whispering tales of old; of prideful and glorious kings and queens whom carry honey and gold woven into their veins; of the heavenly castles and eternal empires that crumble and fall back into the sea like love-worn maidens with scales adorned with their foolish wishes that embrace their naivety, consumed by their amorous passions only to be claimed by the waves that taught them to do so. 

You see it.

You see all of the world's secrets in his eyes, piercing through your heart and soul as though he were the ilk of the ravenous deities who embrace all with the gentle touch of death. As you kneel down on the cracked wooden paneling, placing your captain's loyal swordsman's bruised head in your lap, staring right back at the world's strongest warrior as he decides your fate right then and there. 

Golden eyes that wield conviction in the same manner as the heavenly blade that he carries on his back; powerful, fearsome, intoxicating. Even with the sheath adorned with thousands of jewels worthy of the entire world's envy, you knew. He was far too terrifying for the likes of you. Although you have never seen or encountered this man before, you know that you wouldn't have any hold on the feeble remnants of your life the same way in which he carries yours within his hands, not a single care in the world for you. As you are right now, loathe as you are to admit it, you wouldn't be able to stand a single chance against this man.

His swordsmanship outclassed you; at least dozens, no, tenfold the strength that you have no idea as to how much you carry with you now, the precise jabs and cuts adorning Zoro's body leaving no room to argue with your statement. You glanced down towards your companion, recalling the way his chest heaved with each hit he took, face scrunched and strained. Beads of scorching hot sweat trailed down his forehead and matted his wild hair to his skin, cheeks flushed with back-aching fatigue. As the ocean's waters spill onto the wooden panel that had broken off from the sudden attack on the restaurant, you gently placed your hand on his head, slipping your doll-like fingers through the choppy verdant locks in his hair, running circles through his skin in a poor attempt to ease his pain along with the pounding drum that had taken over your heart.

"You," It is the very first word he says to you, pointing the very same dagger that fell your companion towards you. The wanderer's eyes narrow, as if remembering something bitter; something that tastes unpleasantly foul and bitter, lingering on his tongue. "Who are you?"

It is a question that you have yet to find an answer for.

Who is the man, to assume you have the answer to something you hardly even know yourself?

You frown, trying to figure just what exactly might be going through this stranger's head, to ask you something so sudden like this when taking into consideration the situation you're all in. Zoro is bleeding out without any proper aid to give other than a poor attempt of comfort, and you really ought to be hurrying back to the ship to find some form of first aid to give him instead of conversating with the very same man who caused this whole mess.

Despite that, though, his words perplex you. 

It feels like he knows much more about you than whatever remnants of your memories tell you. There's something tugging at your heartstrings, whispering all sorts of ideas in your head, telling you that you need to know more about who you really are and that this man is the very key to that treasured goal of yours.

Really though, who are you?

You hardly remember anything prior to waking up on the island with Coby, and whatever else you can remember is nothing more than a single blur among a million others. You don't know what kind of person you'd been before, or where you came from, absolutely nothing came to mind when it came to your own identity.

"...I don't know," You murmur, tightening your grip around Zoro's body as a sense of hopelessness and somber realizations entered your body, closing your eyes in disbelief. "I don't know. I'm nobody."

"You can't be nobody," The man with eyes of gold retorts, tilting your chin up with the tip of his blade. "Everyone has a history of their own that they carry. Their own experiences to share. They make up and define who you are. You certainly have your own to be able to get to where you are now. So tell me," Piercing straight through you, he glowers. "Who are you?"

The way in which his quick, quipped statements pour out of his mouth startles you, and you pursed your lips, swallowing down the bile ready to jump out of your throat. Your heart ready to burst through the milky white bones of your ribcage, a pair of [eye color] eyes boring straight into his own. 

The way in which his eyes gleam beneath the sun's rays reminds you of sweetened honey and glorious gold; immortal, like a god, strong and sure with a golden face sculpted from hard iron; armed to the teeth with piercing words and pretty eyes and corded muscle. That shifting golden treasure left you breathless in the face of admiration and fear, still hawk-eyed as ever, yet not as painstakingly terrifying as before. They felt understanding, in a strange sense, searching within your own melancholy gaze for something you did not know.

They compelled you to open your mouth and speak, to look for some form of semblance and meaning to your existence; the real reason why you were born in this world; to live.

"[Name]," You breathed out, voice eerily calm and even. "I'm [Name]."

Mihawk pondered over your words, standing still as a statue for a few minutes before rewarding you with a rigid nod. "You are [Name]," He repeated once more, your name rolling off his tongue in a smooth pattern, as though it came naturally to him.

He moved his blade away from your form — much to your surprise — and placed it back into its' ornate sheath. The world's greatest swordsman gave you one last curt nod before departing, taking a seat on his glorious throne. Not another word spilled from his lips, and you watched as he faded away into the distance, a breath of relief that you hadn't realized you'd been holding in all of this time.

Your eyes lowered, closing themselves shut in an attempt to try and calm yourself down. Taking in a deep breath, you did your best to tend to your companion's injuries, the puddles of seawater that had splashed onto the wooden paneling of the ship surrounding the both of you.

Gently tracing a hand over his gaping wounds, you don't realize until much later that the bleeding's stopped and his breathing has evened out. The cerulean droplets of the ocean scatter beneath your fingertips, soaked from pulling the swordsman out of the water. As the crimson fluid dissipates and fades back into his body, merging into the newly-formed scars on his chest, you find your heart returning back to its' original pace.

Looks like there's still more to see out there.

▃▃▃▃▃ 

**6\. the sun**

Nami begins to awaken from her slumber, peeking through a single eye filled with drowsiness to take in her surroundings. The flapping of paper stirs her awake, realizing that she's fallen asleep while tending to her mapwork. A bottle of ink laid near the piece of parchment paper, still fresh as it was when she'd haggled it off of a stubborn old hag. Slowly standing up from her seat at her desk, the ginger-haired girl proceeds to stretch, relishing in the multiple popping sounds forming from the joints in her body. 

She marvels at the tattoo bathed in a bright shade of azure on her shoulder, tracing its' shape with a small smile on her face. It helps to remind her of the fact that she's free now, her village released from the clutches of Arlong's tyranny. Nami remembers taking in the joy and excitement of her village that day, and it makes her heart feel fuller than it’s ever been. She hears the sound of someone passing by her room, a pair of light footsteps softly tapping against the wooden paneling of the ship. It's a voice full of feminity, warm and gentle like the sun, singing a tune that sounds awfully familiar to her. 

Deep in thought, Nami decides to walk forward and open the door, stepping out of her room for a bit. It's about time she had gotten some fresh air from the outside world. 

When she walks out of her room, the mousy-eyed woman finds herself staring up at the batch of fruit-bearing trees on the ship. There's another set of smaller plants and flowers near them, and sure enough, you're there too. Tending to the verdant greenery with a small watering can in your arms, you continue to immerse yourself with the melody forming in your head. Placing a small, delicate hand on the leaves of a bright green succulent, you suddenly pause. 

Soon enough, you blink your eyes open and turn your head around. When you see it’s her standing there, you immediately begin to smile.

“Nami,” You happily greet her, as welcoming as you've always been, and it warms her to the core.

“Hey,” she replies fondly. “Thought I’d find you here. What’re you up to?”

“I’m taking care of the garden,” You inform her, confirming the navigator's suspicions. Nami sighs a little, because it’s still not much of an explanation.

“Yeah, I can see that. Any particular reason why, though?”

You hum a simple tune at the sound of her words, deep in thought as to what you should answer with. It's a lullaby, she realizes, one native to Cocoyashi Village. Something that her mother used to sing to her and her sister when they were younger, whenever they had a nightmare and couldn't fall asleep.

The navigator watches as you pour a small stream of water into the pots of her tangerine trees, marveling at the way in which you lift up one of the bountiful, bright-hued fruits with such tenderness. You're probably the one person on this entire ship that she would ever allow to come near these trees, much less touching them. Nami knows you're a gentle person with a kind heart, and she knows you'd take better care of them than she ever could. 

For some reason, the tangerines blossom even more beautifully under your care than anyone else's. Even the flowers you bloom are extraordinarily beautiful, prettier than any other piece of treasure she'd laid eyes on. You definitely have a green thumb, that's for sure. She smiles, taking in the sights of the lovely scene in front of her.

"No reason in particular," You muse, focusing your gaze towards something beyond the infinite sapphire blue waves adorning the sea. "It's something that I've come to be rather fond of doing these days."

“...Huh.” Nami has a million questions and doesn’t even know where to begin asking them.

From the time she’s already spent with you and the others, Nami has known about your strangely calming presence and odd personality for quite some time now. She's watched you carefully guide Zoro towards the right direction plenty of times, seen you and Usopp conversate about all sorts of exciting fairy tales and talk about your garden like little kids with that complicated, overflowing list of vocabulary and fanciful phrases spilling out of your mouth and she's even seen you lecture the captain to the point where he actually felt _shame_ for his reckless actions around the ship (something she'd thought to be impossible), so hearing you say something like this is a normal sight for her.

But this…This is something new. Just a short while ago, she’d thought that even devil fruits were only myths—and now, here’s a whole new mystery right before her.

But maybe it’s not as shocking as it may have been, if it had been anyone else. You're a force of nature; an unpredictable wildcard, an unbelievable person always pulling out one miracle after another, as if you've done it every single day of your life.

And isn’t that just it? Just look at what you and the others have done for Nami and her village, done both selflessly and gladly. It’s because it’s you, and you just defy all explanation and reason.

Nami stays quiet as you continue to hum another one of the tunes you've learned along the way, occasionally reaching over to brush a few loose strands of [hair color] hair away from your face. The wooden flooring of the ship, cold to the touch when she first stepped in, is now warm against her skin as she sits next to you, crouching down onto the ground to watch you at work. Nami claps her hands, layered in mounds of freckles, around her knees, feels the sea breeze on her face, and realizes just how long it’s been since she’s simply _existed_ without having to worry about her next move.

Now, she can just _be_.

 _'Bellemere'_ , she thinks, looking up at the cloudless blue sky. _'Can you see me now?'_

They both stare out into the horizon, the dappled sunlight dancing on the sea, before Nami breaks the silence.

“You know…my mother named me after the ocean,” she whispers. “I haven't thought of that in ages. After everything…I never really had the time.”

“It was a good choice. The ocean's a wonderful place, after all. You’re wonderful too, Nami,” You say so easily. You turn your head to gently beam up at her. “So don’t worry. You have time now.”

Her lips can’t help but curve into a smile. You can be rather strange, and the things you say can sound too complex or poetic to be taken seriously… And yet, you also have a talent of saying just what she needs to hear.

Nami doesn’t say anything in response. She just watches the waves roll onto the shore, listens to the cries of gulls soaring above them, smells the familiar scent of tangerines ever-lingering in the air of her hometown.

And for the first time in so many years, Nami feels at peace.

"...Nami, darling, you've got ink stains on your face."

"W-What?! Ugh, t-tell me sooner...!"

▃▃▃▃▃

**7\. the star**

A pirate's ship looms over a lone island, caressed by the ocean's sapphire blue waves.

Deep within the bushes and thickets of lush greenery lays a man once filled with dreams surpassing the heavens, surrounded by his fellow dreamers and a pile of barrels and bottles once filled with liquor and memories long forgotten. 

He reeks.

He reeks of a thousand different beers and tonics and all sorts of alcoholic beverages that could result in a hangover that could last for all of eternity.

~~He reeks of _sin_.~~

The island is silent, accompanied by nothing more than the sleepy murmurings and hushed whispers of his crewmates and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocky shorelines. This silence is soon broken, however, by a pair of footsteps entering the dreamer's sanctuary. 

They sound as clear as the sharpened blade resting on his back; Strong. Steady. Firmer than one's faith in the gods above.

The world's greatest swordsman comes to a stop, standing behind the old dreamer. He looms over the man, his presence far more threatening than any other predator eager to climb their way up towards the throne of the food chain. 

"Yo, Hawk-Eyes," The red-haired man greets the newcomer with a soft murmur, not even bothering to turn his head towards the imposing swordsman with piercing eyes that glimmer like gold treasure. "You come for a match?" He hardly seems fazed at the prospect of initiating a duel with one of the strongest warriors wandering the four seas.

Mihawk lets out a loathsome scoff.

"I have no interest in challenging a one-armed man like yourself," He says with nonchalance dripping down into the words that form from his voice, as though he were insulted by the sheer thought of doing such a thing.

Surprisingly enough, the drunkard doesn't seem all that offended by his words. Raking a hand covered in old and terribly faded scars through his messy crimson haired locks that have become the whole of his identity, he mulls over whatever is left of the painkillers in his cabin, deciding if it really is worth it to grab another set of pills when he'll be downing another barrel of liquor at the end of the day. Then one after that. And yet another after that one, too.

"However," Hawk-Eyes reaches into the pockets of his open coat, pulling out a piece of rolled-up paper, already turning into a faded sunset yellow with age. "I came across some interesting pirates. It reminded me of something you told me a long time ago."

The swordsman takes another step further. "A story about a small village and an amusing young boy with dreams bigger than his smile." Mihawk unrolls the first poster in his hand, and the sleepy air that surrounds the red-haired man and his crewmates suddenly changes. 

Shanks' eyes open wide, shock as clear as the rays of sunlight illuminating his face. There is a picture of a boy with a big straw hat and ten million-watt smile, posing for the camera despite the danger he's put himself in, showing himself to the entire world with pride in his heart.

Some of his crewmates begin to murmur all sorts of things in response to the poster, eyes filled with wonder and an ocean of inquiries spilling from their lips, minds overflowing with unsated curiosity. The suffocating tension that enters the fields quickly fades, soon replaced by the scintillatingly bright rays of sunlight filtering through the verdant treetops surrounding all of them, and a wide grin blooms on the faces of his many crewmates. The brightest of them all is the one on Shanks' face, as radiant as the sun itself.

"So you've come, Luffy!" He chuckles, a pristine white set of sharp teeth revealed by a smile that hums with a sense of thrilling excitement, like the hunger of a predator seeking a new challenge. It's brimming with life, with the ferocity of a king leading his soldiers into battle.

Moments later, the world's greatest swordsman finds himself sitting down on a fallen tree, sharing a drink with his (former) rival as the rest of his crew proceeds to go through another round of merry-making days. Shanks proceeds to shove a beer mug into his comrade's hands, already flushed with alcohol that will surely result in another painful hangover tomorrow morning. 

Shanks takes another gulp from his mug of golden liquor before looking back up to survey his surroundings, drinking in the sights of his ecstatic crewmembers with a bright big smile on his face. It's a little wistful, as though he's recalled something far more bitter than the drink in his hands before shaking his head, turning back towards Mihawk when he hears his name being called.

"That boy has begun to travel with a group of companions to call his own," Unfolding another piece of paper, Mihawk slides it over to his comrade without another word. Curious, the red-haired man turns it over to take a closer look as to whatever else it could be.

His heart drops.

A picture of a young woman looking straight towards the sea that hides behind her, whatever remnants of her face that could've been used to identify her covered by the brim of her sunhat, the bright colored ribbon fluttering in the wind. She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned, under water.

She reminds him of a painting. A type of beauty far too ethereal for this world of man; She looks as though she belongs somewhere else, away from this cruel world of infinite sins. Something that should be hidden away and protected from the world's prying eyes and the unforgiving hands of fate. He should know how dangerous the world is; he learned the hard way, after all.

He tries not to think about it any longer, trying to run away from ever speaking about this woman ever again. He hides the grimace on his face behind the empty mug in his hands, doing his best to forget about a woman who looks so lovingly towards the sea. It reminds him of something he never wants to remember ever again. 

Shanks covers everything up as he lets out a hearty laugh, slapping a hand onto his comrade's back in a good-natured way. 

"I didn't know she was your type, Hawk-Eyes!" Pouring another bottle of liquor into his mug, he does his best to skirt away from giving any other penny to his own thoughts about the wanted poster. Mihawk clicks his tongue in irritation, taking another sip from his beer mug.

He supposes he'll humor the drunkard of a pirate, but Mihawk will definitely come back someday with an answer to bring back home. Shanks is a man who he has known for far too long, the years spent clashing swords making it all the more obvious. He'd be a fool if he thought he could slip away from the hawk-eyed man in front of him. 

But, he'll save these questions for another day.

"Your stupidity knows no bounds." The swordsman replies in return, receiving nothing more than another burst of laughter and specks of spit slapping his face.

▃▃▃▃▃

**8\. the hierophant**

Buried beneath a looming pile of paperwork within a pristine white building that bellows "justice is supreme", he sits behind his desk, chewing on the ends of his cigars with agitation boiling from within his veins. Ivory-colored eyebrows scrunched in deep thought, a pair of bronze eyes narrowing, a single gloved hand clutching tightly onto the paper of a wanted poster. 

The picture of a young woman's silhouette, her eyes hidden by the brim of her sun-kissed straw hat while shifting her face away from the camera. She looks towards the sea, clutching tightly onto the hat on her head as her silky [hair color] locks blew in the wind.

The bounty for this woman is at an all-time high, practically surpassing that of her companion's. The soldier briefly glances over at the beaming young man with a straw hat on his head before focusing his gaze on the picture from before, scrutinizing her looks once more. There's a small smile on her face, something you could easily miss if you didn't bother to take a closer look.

It's the sad kind of smile; Somber, wistful, _empty_.

~~He knows that sort of smile far too well, _way_ too many times to count.~~

'The Tempest', they call her.

Dozens of soldiers have come hurtling back towards headquarters, trembling with fear as they croak in unison about a young woman with a pair of stone-cold eyes that can pierce through your soul. They claim to have witnessed her destroying everything in her wake; setting the tyrannous Arlong aflame as he begged for mercy to the skies above, the ocean's waves parting for her and her alone as the rest of Arlong's crewmates could do nothing more but run away in fear. Gone with the wind, with nothing more than a whisper about her almighty fury and the pathways of destruction that trailed behind her. 

For some reason, she felt oddly familiar, yet he can't even put a name to her face besides the stack of words labeling her wanted poster. It might just be the fact that she resembles another one of the many criminals roaming the four seas. Smoker had seen dozens and thousands of wanted posters throughout his career to the point where it was almost impossible to distinguish one from another. Yes, that must be it. 

When he tries to convince himself to believe in his own words, he finds himself still staring down at the wanted poster in his bedroom, hours later into the dead of night with nothing else but the moon's gentle rays of light as his sole form of company.

A single grunt escapes from Smoker's mouth, balling the poster up into a crumpled mess with a single fist before tossing it across the room. He runs a hand through his hair, growling at the thoughts of a young woman who looks as though she's made of glass wearing a heart-aching smile on her face. 

Slamming his fist into the wall, Smoker closes his eyes as he feels another incoming headache beginning to form all over again.

Nothing but a menace slipping into his thoughts again.

▃▃▃▃▃

**9\. the hanged man**

Death must be cold and treacherous, he thinks to himself. But, he finds out much later, it is also painstakingly hot.

Leaning against the battered, broken-down building he once claimed as his castle, Arlong watched as you slowly stepped towards him. Your footsteps are quiet and soft-sounding, sandals padding gently against the marble stones adorning the ground. Wearing a large, delicately woven sunhat with a silky [fav. color] ribbon, it's hard for him to look up at your eyes with the brim of your hat blocking the sun's harsh rays. 

When you stand right in front of him, above him and all that he once believed in and loved so voraciously, he realizes.

You stare down at him with [eye color] eyes brimming with insouciance and blood-boiling ire, gently placing your hands on the sides of his face. It's as though he's looking at the Grim Reaper straight in the eyes, cold and unforgiving. The myriad of bruises and bloodied wounds adorning his body suddenly begin to boil, scorching at the sensation of your touch. It is scaldingly hot, and Arlong feels as though his entire body has been lit aflame.

He screams. He screams to the high heavens, crying out to whatever deity remains in his so-called favor, someone, anyone, _please_. He begs for the mercy of his homeland's beloved mother of the seas, she who loves all of her kin and those adored by the tidal waves of fate which she controls with a gracious hand. 

For once, for the very first time in his entire life since the day he was born and lost his entire world time and time again, he feels fear. 

Arlong is afraid of this woman who holds his head in place, forcing him to stare straight into her own stone cold [eye color] eyes. The rest of his kinsmen quiver with fear, backing away from the sight of their almighty captain wailing like a dog with their tail tucked between their legs. No one will help him, no one will save him. That's all there is to a cruel, worthless monster like him.

" _Mother_ ," he croaks out to the maiden beloved by his kinsmen, dipping back into his native tongue. He tried to reach for one of your hands to pull it away from his face, but all he feels is the scorching hot flames invading his entire being. " _Save me!_ "

_itburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsit **burns**_

"How awful it is to see you like this," is all he gets in reply, his body still burning. You lean in towards the fishman, placing your forehead on his own bloodied head, so tender despite all of the cruel words and harsh punishments you're pouring into his whole body. "But you lost your chance with the gods the moment you cast away all that remained of your heart in favor of your own pride."

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

All that remains of the prideful king of the seas is gone from this world.

Like woeful Oedipus, the pitiful sinner lays atop the shattered grounds of the earth with scarlet drops that shine like rubies spilling from his eyes, his body still burning like hellfire to this day. 

▃▃▃▃▃

You've said "hello" and "goodbye" so many times to a variety of faces that you can hardly keep up with what's happening on this thrilling journey of yours, barely grasping on. Despite that, you've never felt more alive.

"Oi, [Name]! We're about to land at Loguetown!" 

You perk up at the sound of your name, smiling at the sound of your captain's cheerful shouts and rounds of banter with the rest of your crewmates. Tucking a loose strand of [hair color] hair in, you hop off your seat before putting the rest of your items away. You looked up towards the shining cerulean skies to see a flock of snowy white seagulls sailing past you, cries of the purest of elation spilling out from their golden beaks. Smiling, you shouted in reply before catching up with the rest of your crewmates, filled with dozens of thoughts as to whatever else you'd be encountering on your journey.

Life, you concluded with a grin, was full of surprises.

▃▃▃▃▃

**bonus. the trickster**

There's something wrong with Luffy.

Nami frowns, eyes narrowing as she stares down at her captain from across the dining table. The others glance at each other, concern welling up within their eyes, unsure of what to say besides returning to their meals. The navigator lets out a weighty grown, placing her head into her hands, dotted with layers upon layers of sunkissed freckles upon her entire body. Really, did no one understand the current situation?

Of course there's something wrong with Luffy, there always was. From his personality to his reckless actions, along with the rubber properties of his body and the lack of brain cells floating around inside of his head, there always was something to be considered odd about this boy. 

But the worst part, oh, the absolute _worst_ part, is the fact that he's eating a salad.

A fruit salad.

Every day and night for the past three weeks straight.

"How in the world could this have possibly happened?" She wails, gripping at the tawny locks of hair on her head with overwhelming disbelief and frustration. It just doesn't make any _sense_.

Luffy is probably one of the most stubborn, oafish, meatheaded meat-lovers in the entire world, yet here he is, devouring a salad with as much bravado as he would with a finely roasted log of meat. If something like this is actually happening, then the entire world must be quickening its' pace towards Judgement Day.

"Why aren't you guys saying anything?!" Nami hisses out, hurtling a menacing glare towards Usopp and Zoro. The long-nosed sniper flinches, his eyes fluttering back and forth to look at anything but those gorgon-like eyes again. 

"What do you want us to do about it? It's not like there's anything wrong with it." The green-haired swordsman declares, nonchalantly downing another bottle of liquor. He'll admit that seeing Luffy taking on a healthy diet all of a sudden is pretty strange, but it's not as though it'll cause any other issues. Sure, he likes to eat veggies and fruits now. So what? Big deal.

Nami is approximately half a millisecond away from leaping across the table to wring his neck and strangle him to death, but she merely purses her lips while rubbing away at the creased wrinkles forming on her forehead due to stress. She's afraid that she'll end up with a full head of fading grey hairs clinging to her scalp with the amount of paranoia she's been gulping down with this motley crew's hectic lifestyle. Sighing, she turns towards the catalyst of all her issues, watching him dig through another bout of lettuce like it's the greatest thing in the entire world.

"Luffy," she purrs sweetly, crossing her fingers beneath her chin in a graceful fashion. "What's up with you?"

"Huh? Whaddya mean?" The onyx-haired male says through a mouthful of fresh greens, oblivious to the room's focus on him. Nami imagines the lovely sight of wringing his scrawny neck and tossing him into the open sea to watch him drown, smiling at the thought of it. The ill-intentioned smile on her lips makes Usopp flinch, trying to pick up his bowl and scoot away from her. 

"This!" She bangs her fist on the table, jabbing a finger at all of the tons of salads and bountiful fruits and vegetables sitting on the surface of the dining table. "All of this!"

"Oh." Luffy pauses for a moment, trying to understand just what exactly his navigator is asking him. "Oh!"

He laughs, digging right back into his salad bowl with a wide grin on his face. "[Name] told me to do it!"

"...What?" Beads of sweat trail down her forehead, her heart pounding with intense fear and absolute shock. She glances over at you, calmly peeling the skin of a freshly washed apple near the kitchen sink while sitting atop of a wooden stool. How in the world could you have done something like this?

She knew you were special from the very beginning. After all, you're probably the one person on this entire ship who can actually get Luffy to sit down and _listen_. You don't even have to repeat anything for the words to get right into his head and let him run off to go and complete whatever task you throw in his direction.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheers, thrusting another spoonful of fruits and veggies into his mouth. "She told me that if I didn't start eating vegetables and fruits, I'd end up getting scurvy and lose my eyeballs and stuff!"

The rest of the crew just stare at him in disbelief, absolutely floored by the fact that he was doing all of this for the sake of avoiding scurvy, of all things. A disease that had only been prevalent thousands and thousands of ages ago, when sailors merely lacked the technology to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables rich with vitamins. Something that could be easily cured and preventable today, thousands of years later.

Reaching for a drink of water, Nami tried to not dwell any further on the subject, knowing that she'd be getting absolutely nowhere and receive another round of earth-shattering headaches if she kept it up. Suddenly, her eyes widened, nearly spitting out her drink as she gripped onto the ends of the table.

"Wha—?!" Sputtering, the ginger-haired girl placed a hand around her throat to halt the storm of aching coughs that were beginning to form. 

"Huh, Nami? What's wrong?" Luffy piped up, chewing down his meal alongside the rest of the crew as he tilted his head to look over at the caramel-eyed woman. Nami pursed her lips, waving off his concern as she returned to her seat and resumed her meal. Peeking through the corner of her eyes, she glanced over at your petite form, washing a set of dirtied kitchen utensils within the sink as a cloud of soap bubbles began to materialize all around you. Nervously swallowing down her food, she looked away, suddenly finding interest in the glimmering details of her silverware.

For a second there, she could've sworn she'd seen a coy smirk on your face...

_________________________

**LEXICON :**

[1] - Celtic phrase; Translates to: "Oh gentle daughter, here come the wooing men."

[2] - Celtic phrase; Translates to: "Oh gentle mother, put the wheels in motion for me."


	5. IV. HOUSE OF MEMORIES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a ghost of the past flickers before her eyes. like a pair of candles lit aflame, it fades away, cast aside by the wind.

[unedited]

"Ugh, really? Another increase in price? Don't you think it's getting a bit too expensive?" Ignoring the timid wails of the News Coo **[1]** , Nami jabbed another finger at the ruby red messenger bag strapped to the seagull's feathery chest, an irritated look on her face. "Raise the price again and I won't be buying your papers anymore."

"What're you getting so riled up about? It's just a newspaper." Usopp asks her, still focused on the mounds of lab equipment in front of him.

"Daily expenses all add up, you know?" 

"I thought you were done with saving up money?"

"Don't be stupid!" Nami hisses with a clear tone of disdain, nearly crinkling the rolled-up newspaper in her left hand. "Now that Arlong's gone, it's time to make money for myself. I don't want to be a penniless pirate."

"Stop squawking! I'm trying to develop the ultimate killer, the Pepper Sauce Star! Anyone who gets this in their eyes won't stand a chance—!" As soon as the dark-haired sniper says this, Luffy comes hurtling towards him and causes the startled sniper to squirt the mysterious substance right into his own eyes. Usopp lets out an ungodly screech that resembles that of a furious banshee, clawing at his face while Luffy sinks to the ground beside him. 

"Aw, c'mon! Can't I have just one!?"

"Absolutely not!" Sanji yells back at him, standing with a straightened back and his arms crossed behind them. "This is Nami's tangerine grove! I won't let you touch them! Nami, I shall guard this grove with all the love in my heart!"

Nami thanks him with a sweet voice, cooing his name in a tender tone as Luffy stands right back up, good as new. Your captain laughs that usual jovial laugh of his, clearly in a good mood from hearing the fact that your crew will finally be sailing towards the Grand Line. 

"The world sure is in turmoil. Looks like there was another coup d'état in Vira." While flipping through the pages of the various newspaper articles, a pair of posters slid out and onto the wooden flooring of the ship. Perched atop an oakwood barrel placed beside Zoro, only one moment away from dozing off, you opened your eyes when you suddenly heard the entire ship's crew go to a standstill with nothing but the sound of the waves filling the background. Leaning over to try and take a closer look at the slips of paper on the ground, you stared a little longer before you finally realized just what in the world you were looking at.

"...Oh." Perhaps it would've been better to come up with anything else to say rather than something as simple as that, but that was all you could think of at the moment, staring down at a pair of posters depicting a set of people you know all too well to even consider trying to forget.

A cacophony of horrid, shrill screams and screeches produced by your crewmates filled the air soon after. You sigh, already feeling an incoming headache hurtling your way within the next few minutes of this trip.

And at long last, the Going Merry sailed forward, heading towards the Grand Line.

~*~

Luffy grins as he holds up his wanted poster, happily embracing the fact that he's worth over thirty million berries, a price far more startling than the worth of any other criminal residing within the East Blue. That wasn't particularly good news, seeing as that made him one of the most eye-catching figures to look out for, and there'd probably hundreds and hundreds of more people trying to chase you down for the sake of gaining some decent prize money.

...Well, it's not like you're any better off than he is. You skim the small paragraphs of text written on the wanted poster in your hand, depicting your backside facing something farther away. Since the poster lacks a clear view of your face, you should be able to avoid catching people's attention as long as you change your outfit and style your hair a little differently. If anything, they might mistake someone else to be you considering how many details this photo alone lacks. 

Admittedly, you did cause a lot of, ah, _collateral damage_ the last time you encountered some troublemakers from before while traveling with your crew. The injuries you left on Arlong and some of his crewmates, as well as the ones aimed towards the corrupt soldiers stationed at Cocoyashi Village must have caused quite a clamor back at headquarters. Considering how much of a ruckus you'd made back there, it's no wonder why you have such a large bounty attached to your head. In fact, your bounty is at least triple the amount of your captain's, so if anyone were to find out who you were, well, you certainly wouldn't be able to live a cushy life all that easily like you do now.

"As usual, you guys have no idea how serious this is." Nami sighs, placing her head in her hands. "The navy's hunting the two of you down! At those prices, headquarters is probably involved. The toughest bounty hunters are going to come after you, too."

"Look! I'm known all over the world!" Usopp brags, jabbing a finger at Luffy's wanted poster, gesturing towards his backside being shown in the background of the picture. It's so, so small in comparison to the focus being placed on your captain's beaming face, but it's more than enough for the sniper to take pride in.

"You're grinning like an idiot. It's nothing to be proud about." Lighting another cigarette, Sanji turns away and grumbles, ticked off at the fact that most of you have managed to garner the public's attention with the exception of him. You blinked slowly, taking in everyone else's reactions with a small sense of amusement. What a motley crew you've gathered here today!

"Don't be jealous! If you get to be a big shot, they might put you on a poster too, even if you aren't a captain."

"This is no time to be relaxing in the East Blue." Nami murmurs aloud, reviewing yours and Luffy's bounty posters and the newspaper articles in her hands.

"I agree," You nod your head quietly. "It might be best to avoid attracting any attention from the navy whenever possible, especially if we want to continue traveling further out." You can only imagine what consequences you might be forced to endure otherwise, and none of those possible scenarios end all too well for the likes of you.

Zoro perks up soon afterward, calling out to the rest of your crew. "Hey, there's an island ahead."

"That's where the famous Loguetown is," Nami explains, turning her head to look over at the nearby isle alongside the rest of you. "They call it 'the town of the beginning and the end'. The pirate king, Gold Roger was born there and executed there, too."

"It's where the pirate king died!" Luffy marvels, clutching onto his beloved straw hat as he continues to stare down at the island where the progenitor of all his fellow dreamers began and ended. 

You stare back at it too, a pair of [eye color] eyes twinkling wistfully. To think this is where it all started in this day and age, well, you certainly had some exploring to do, didn't you? There's this sad, awfully painful feeling that makes your chest clench, but there's also a tinge of excitement. You can't but wonder if this is anywhere close to the radiant joy that your newfound comrades feel, too.

...There's something here that reminds you of yet another thing that's so difficult to remember, but you know deep down in your heart that this is another key to the beloved truth you've been yearning to find all this time. And you'll be damned if you were to miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance when it was sitting right in front of you. 

~*~

The hustle and bustle of the sunlit streets of Loguetown sent a surge of newfound vigor within your soul, stirring you wide awake from your humble daydreams. A small smile on your face, you marveled with twinkling [eye color] eyes at the lovely sights around you: of cobblestone streets decorated with all sorts of shops and stalls to wander through, filled with dazzling trinkets and marvelous merchandise, each and every one of them bathed in the soft, tender-hearted afternoon light. Right before departing from the ship, you had swapped out your usual outfit for a plain [fav. color] gingham patterned dress while swapping out the ribbon for your sunhat, not forgetting to tie your hair up, rearranging it so it looked a little different from before while putting on a pair of round vintage glasses. Your wanted poster only displayed your backside from afar, but it was much better to be safe than sorry in regards to your appearance. 

It's a lovely day outside, and the jubilant figures of the townsfolk are so vibrant and heart-warming that you can't help but feel excited at whatever else you might stumble upon today. Twisting and turning, you wander in and out of the cozy little stores and street stands, finding all sorts of fun little things here and there, everywhere you go. It's awfully fun; buying a couple of snacks here and there, admiring the local scenery as everyone goes about their daily lives. The bustling marketplace is like a maze of wonders, and you can't help but make a pitstop every now and then to check out what the vendors have to offer. Really, it feels like a hotpot of mysteries here, and you just become more and more enticed by whatever it is that you encounter along the way. 

At some point, you manage to wander away from the local bazaars and past the small shops and stalls, eventually finding yourself somewhere completely different from before. Standing at the edge of the island, you are surrounded by a field of wilting flowers and a small cottage. The building appears to be quite old; worn-down by age as the hues of paint decorating its' walls and the roofing has already begun to fade out from the wear and tear of years gone by, and the windows of the house are bathed in dust and dozens of silky cobwebs, some of them beginning to crack off as fragments of glass seem to pile up right below them. Yet, despite all of that, it is still standing strong and tall as it must've been the day it was first built. Curious, you reach out to grasp the dusty once-golden doorknob when a voice calls out to you.

"Hey. You shouldn't touch that." Softly taking in a deep breath, you slowly turn around to see a large, bulky stranger just a couple of steps away from you and the field of wilting flowers. He's incredibly huge, probably even taller than the rest of your crewmates, with a pair of piping-hot cigars in his mouth. Adorned with a large, thick white and blue specialist Marine jacket carrying dozens and dozens of spare cigars along with a pair of durable coffee-colored gloves that match with his combat boots, he looks down at you with an indescribable look on his face that doesn't really seem to be all that mad with you. 

"I apologize," You step away from the door and slightly bow down for forgiveness, adjusting the wooly shawl wrapped around your petite form. "I didn't mean to intrude or cause any sorts of trouble." 

He grunts, lifting a gloved hand to scratch at the back of his head while waving in a reassuring manner towards you. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

You step a little closer towards him, fully taking in his height as he towers over you with ease. It's as though you're looking up at a grizzly bear, and you're nothing more than the size of a measly little white rabbit who was much too curious for her own good. Ah, Nami will scold you later for causing trouble, you think to yourself. That's no good, no, not at all. 

...Oh, well. You'll get over it, soon enough.

"Is there anyone who lives there?" You ask the well-built stranger, likely a soldier of some sort. He shakes his head, sighing.

"No. It's been empty for more than two decades now." The silver-haired man looks over at the dying field of flowers and worn-down cottage, a tinge of melancholy somberness buried deep within a pair of milky brown eyes. You blink slowly, a little curious about his reaction, but it's not your place to ask about something that's likely better kept private. 

"Did you know the previous owner?" He walks over to pick up one of the wilting flowers, clicking his tongue in annoyance when he sees that one of the petals have fallen off, crushing the already-dead flower in his hands. 

"More or less. They stayed here for about a year or two, but not for long. Left as soon as they came without a single trace back to them. They weren't much of a talker, but they really loved these flowers." Dusting the soil off of his gloved hands, he pulls out his cigars to take in a deep breath, a puff of milky white smoke spilling out from his lips. "I think when they left, the flowers probably died off with them too."

"I see...That's a bit unfortunate. I'm sure they must've been really lovely when they were still around." He laughs at that, startling you a bit as you crouch down to take a closer look at the wilting flowers yourself.

"Yeah," Still chuckling at your words, he wipes a few stray tears of laughter from his eyes. "Yeah. They were beautiful."

There's this soft look in his eyes, and you can't help but stand and stare at the sight of him like this. He doesn't seem like the type to smile as much as your captain, but you think there's this kind of treasured joy that comes with those rare, awfully few chances when someone is able to witness him smile for once in their lifetimes. It's a strange type of muted happiness, as though he's a bit reluctant to love whatever it is that he's in love with right this moment, but at the same time, it means all the world to him, whatever it is. Like the way in which one looks back on their first love, recalling those first few heartbeats that molded and folded their whole entire world into the shape of a rose-tinted heart.

You wonder who this person must have been to place such a dreamlike look on his face.

He reminds you of a snowman, in a way; big and strong, very cold and chilly-looking, but also oddly charming to see.

"Don't think I've seen you around here before. Are you a visitor?" You perk up at his question, snapped out of your reveries.

"Yes, I came with a few friends of mine. We were hoping to purchase some goods here before resuming our travels." If anything, they were probably all still inside the market browsing through stuff. Most of them went off in search of ingredients or tools or spare clothing for the upcoming journey while touring the local hot spots.

"Then, you should probably head back to them soon. The streets are filled with all sorts of people, and they aren't all the good kind." 

"...Thank you. I'll be sure to keep that in mind." The snowman waves his hand again, and you lower your head in thanks before heading back to meet up with the others. He watches as your fairy-like figure disappears and fades away beyond the wilting failures withering away with sorrow, heading down the earthen roads to go back to that shimmering town filled with all sorts of beautiful, shiny things. For a brief moment, the battle-worn soldier sees the one who has become the source of his nightmares and long-lost dreams, and he raises a hand towards them and nearly calls out their name, one he has not spoken of in several decades before coming back to reality. No, he tells himself, it couldn't be them, not after so many years and with such an unfamiliar figure. But those [eye color] eyes full of secrets and [hair color] locks that flicker like the waves of the wind and the seas betray his mind and soul from his war torn heart. 

The man with locks of hair colored like the wintry moon crushes a pair of burnt-out cigars, sighing. Taking one more glance back at the old house of memories laying in front of him, he shakes his head before going about his day, his heart a little heavier than before. 

As soon as he goes down the same gravel-filled trails as the young woman before him, he fails to realize until much later as unbeknownst to the two of them, the once-beautiful flowers lift up their heads and look up to the clear blue skies above them. Bathed in the warm sun-kissed light, they stand tall once more and glisten like blossoming gold, dancing with joy for the first time in several decades, embracing the presence of the fair lady greeting them once again.

~*~

Ah. The air pressure is much lower now compared to earlier today. It seems you'll need to prepare for an incoming storm. Well, that certainly is quite troublesome, isn't it? Adjusting the delicate sunhat on your head while tightening the finely-woven shawl around your dainty form, you look up at the sky to see the faint form of a few dolphin grey clouds grouping together. It's been a few hours since all of you went off on your own to purchase whatever is it that you'd be needing for the long trek into the Grand Line, so most of your crewmates should be meeting up in the center of town as planned.

Just when you think your day will be able to continue smoothly moving forward with this peaceful atmosphere, it's soon marred by a loud explosion coming from the direction of this golden era's birthplace [―](https://www.wattpad.com/story/190121589-angelus-%E2%80%95-the-rising-of-the-shield-hero) the execution platform once stained and forever engraved into everyone's minds with the blood of the first mortal king of the seas: Gold Roger.

Your once steady steps break into a frantic rush, transforming into a run for your life as you hurry past the crowds of people frantically gathering their loved ones while escaping to the sanctuary of their homes. With each and every single step you take, your heart's pace quickens and turns into a beating drum, a time bomb counting down to what feels like the end of the world the closer and closer your frail little body takes you to where you want to go. Immediately, your demeanor changes within what feels to be less than a mere few seconds as a single set of words send a tidal wave of fear to flood your entire body.

"It's the Buggy Pirates!"

Iron hot adrenaline flowing through your veins, you leap onto a set of wooden barrels and onto several shop banners and nearby windowsills until you find yourself standing on one of the rooftops closest to the center of the scene. The buildings are all fairly close to one another, so jumping from one to another is hardly difficult for someone like you to manage with. You narrow your eyes, trying to concoct a plan while taking note of the current situation.

A group of pirates aims their guns at the crowd, chuckling and laughing as they taunt them to take another step. Men, women, the elderly and all of their children huddle up against one another, tears and prayers spilling from them all as they beg for mercy, fearing the eventuality of death that looks down upon them all in the form of an iron cavalry that lays in the hands of foolish sinners.

Your anger only grows stronger than before, a volcano overflowing with crimson red rage as just one single misstep could lead to an explosion of fury to curse the very earth it was born from. It flickers and burns with ire like the wavering flames of a melting wax candle, still firmly in place. 

To aim one's weapons towards the innocent, why, you had to have been born with a heart crueler than the devil. It was a job suitable for a cowardly, filthy, and disgusting fool who thought themselves to be better than the rest of the world. You focus on the ones standing atop of the execution platform, the beating of your heart coming to an instant halt.

Buggy the Clown, chuckling with that shiny red nose of his, dressed much like the fool that he's always been, sticking his nose up in the air with nauseatingly egotistical pride. 

"To my several billion servants that roam this world," He raises his arms in the manner of a conductor, as though he were putting on a grand performance. "We will now super flashily commence with this grand execution!"

...Execution?

Though you are a bit reluctant to indulge in his theatrics, you glance over at the tall wooden platform. Your heart freezes.

There lies your captain, your beloved captain, his head and hands trapped by a wooden board held down by one of Buggy's men. Even as far away as you are, you can still clearly trace the way in which his sharp, starry eyes flicker between anger and paranoia, the worried furrow of his brows, the down-turned corner of his lips that betray the once gentle and bright smile that had always found its home on his face. He struggles to move around as Buggy's lackeys continue to mock and jeer at him, gritting his teeth as he tries to stretch out his limbs.

"Don't you feel honored, Straw Hat? You've been granted the blessed privilege to die in the same place as the Pirate King did!" Buggy bursts into hysterics, laughing loudly as he clutches his stomach.

A low, distant rumble of thunder can be heard loud and clear and the sky fades away from a gentle ocean's blue to something dark, much more sinister with each and every second that passes by. It’s as though the heavens themselves have come to feel the very same fury and rage that now course through your veins.

A set of heavy footsteps that all pound against the floor in sync with one another catches your attention, and you crouch down and over a nearby ledge to take a closer look. For a brief moment, you see a pristine white coat with streaks of sapphire blue woven into the hem of the fabric, and that's all it takes for your frown to worsen. It's the Marines, likely waiting until Luffy is killed before they step in to arrest the other pirates. Better to let their enemies be the ones to kill themselves before they end up having to stain their own hands. It’s a sentiment you’d most certainly share with them, if only the one about to be killed wasn’t someone you've devoted your life to. 

You've found yourself in a gridlock; with no possible entrances that would end all that well without a few dozen casualties, this isn't a very good situation to be in. You watch with bated breath as Buggy climbs onto the platform, placing one leg over the board in order to keep Luffy in place. He starts prattling off some sort of nonsense that you don’t bother to waste your already waning time to listen to. His men cheer, some of them pointing their guns up at the blackened sky while firing off victorious rounds, cackling and howling like a band of hyenas.

The red-nosed pirate takes his boot off the board and places it on the boy’s head, tapping his cheek with the cold steel of the sharpened sword he wields, glistening against your captain's rubbery skin. The grin on the clown’s face couldn’t get any wider and smugger as he mocks the young boy.

“Since you have such a big audience, do you have any last words before you die?”

He is greeted with silence, his expression slowly turning much more grave than before.

“Well, that’s okay. Whether you wanna say something or not doesn’t matter, after all, you'll be dead soon enough.” Buggy drawls out, chuckling as he glances around at the masses who have been forced to bear witness to this horrifying scene.

Your blood boils, and your body trembles with rage. The storm in your heart and the world around you comes together and surrounds everyone, the beating of your heart as loud as the crackling of incoming thunderbolts that would soon rain down upon those unfortunate enough to be standing in your presence. 

"I'm the man who'll be the King of Pirates!" Luffy shouts, his voice reverberating across the town, proclaiming his dream to the heavens above. 

Everyone gapes at the boy with eyes as dark as the night sky, their mouths wide open with pure shock. A low murmur of disbelief makes a wave through the crowd, rippling through hushed whispers and curious gazes. To say something like this, on the very same platform where the previous King of the Pirates died so long ago, it is so much more than foolhardy bravery.

Especially when those words are coming from someone who teeters between life and death right this very moment.

“Well then, I guess I’ll do the honors right about now. Nice knowing you, rubber-head!” Buggy’s grin turns sinister.

Luffy continues to struggle, pushing and pulling on the round wooden frame of the lunette, but to no avail as he remains in place. He closes his eyes and grits his teeth, fighting against the inevitability of death.

"Stop the execution!" A familiar pair of voices ring out, and you peek from the corner of your eyes to see two tall figures nearing the edge of the crowds. Still, that doesn't stop you from keeping your gaze on Buggy as he brandishes his executioner's blade.

“Zoro! Sanji!” Luffy’s lips stretch into that bright and sunny smile that has soothed your heart so many times before.

The townsfolk part for the duo as though they were a crimson sea, fearing the pirate hunter in the same manner as a saintly man, the criminals too shocked to prepare to fire at them.

"So you've come, Zoro. But you're a second too late!" Buggy lifts his sword into the air, readying himself for the deadly strike he's longed for all this time, beaming as bright as a grim reaper of death greeting those who have stepped beyond the world of the living. The cook and swordsman dive through the crowd, kicking and punching and slicing through their enemies, but you know they won't be able to make it in time. The cold, harsh winds of an incoming storm shake and shiver, forming a lovers' tango starring your beating heart and your wildest fears.

Beads of sweat travel down your entire body, your delicate little [eye color] eyes quivering with fear and putrid paranoia, your hands and heart clamming up as you struggle to breathe. Ah, you marvel, is that what if feels like when fish lose their gills? It is just so, so terribly painful and awful and absolutely sickening [―](https://www.wattpad.com/story/190121589-angelus-%E2%80%95-the-rising-of-the-shield-hero) _gods, why would anyone ever want this_ ―

"Bwahaha! Feast your eyes on this!" The red-nosed clown cackles, swinging the gleaming blade. "This is the end of your captain!"

"Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Nami! [Name]!” Luffy calls out to all of you, his face hidden within the darkened shadows cast by the brim of his straw hat. And then, slowly, oh-so-slowly, he lifts his head, beautiful sunflower smile in place. "Sorry. I’m…dead." 

~~No.~~

~~No, no, no, _oh god please no_ _don'tleavemepleasenotagainnotagainpleasedon'tleavemealoneanymorei'msosorrypleasecomeback_[―](https://www.wattpad.com/story/190121589-angelus-%E2%80%95-the-rising-of-the-shield-hero)~~

~~You cannot lose your king.~~

~~Not here.~~

~~Not now.~~

~~Never.~~

~~You will _never_ lose your king.~~

Those three words are all it takes for your whole entire world to crumble apart, right then and there.

A gale of fierce winds tear through the earth, and you jump. Like an angel who has scorned the heavens that reign above them and been deprived of their wings, you fall; past the colorful rooftops and steel windows, far beyond the sky-high buildings that look down upon you. Time stops for you and only you, flickering like the dozens of lightning bolts that descend from the steel gray clouds and slam against the concrete grounding below you, and a wave of rage, your fury, your fears and all that hides within you right now comes pouring out of you like a red-hot volcano ―

Falling like stars in the pitch-black void known as the sky, the millions of people that surround you, both criminals and innocents alike, sway and wither away, faltering like wilting flowers in the presence of your overwhelming heart, bursting open like a star-studded supernova of arduous fervor. You jump, then leap, and you fly, running wherever your heart takes you.

It feels as though all of the emotions that were swelling up inside of you suddenly broke free; pouring out of you like a flood from an incoming hurricane. All of the rage, the terror, the god-awful of seeing red suddenly breaks out in a tidal wave of overwhelming energy that cascades over the people surrounding you, causing hundreds and thousands of them to sink to their knees and crash to the ground, completely knocked out.

Thunder comes crashing down, falling from the clouds like teardrops of a weeping god as you land right in front of your newly-blooming dreamer. The wooden cage that ensnares your beloved captain instantly shatters upon your gentle touch, trapping him no longer as he slowly falls into your wondrous embrace, welcoming him home like a sun-kissed and moon-embracing void of starry-eyed cosmos, like the earthen mother reuniting with her spring-born child. Your glasses fall off, crashing and shattering into mere teeny-tiny minuscule pieces of broken glass as an incoming wind causes your sunhat to fall off and land right beside you. A bundle of silky [hair color] locks flutter in the wind, flickering into place as the chilly earth shapes it into a force of its' own, moving like serpents with retribution in your eyes.

You glare up into the foolish jester’s widened eyes. He freezes in place as he takes in the sight of your face, breath hitching in his throat at the deadly aura you give off. A deafening presence that shouts and screams, clenching the hearts of those around you as the red-nosed fool feels his entire body, heart and mind and soul, all become one through a chain of fear as your eyes roar with the ferocity of a lioness looking down upon its' prey.

Eyes gleaming like the huntress' moon, the wind howls with an earth-shattering vengeance as you cradle your future king. It is not a frail little thing that looks upon the wretched fool standing before you, no, it is a wolf in sheep's clothing who has torn away their delicate armor of fleeting dreams and heartfelt longing and has become a devourer of the feeble and the weak, the foul of heart, all who stand in her way will crumble in due time. You are the monster, and he is the prey.

" _You,_ " You call out to your captain's would-be executioner, hissing and snarling like a roaring beast. "Y _ou will not take him from me. He is my future, and I will not let him die because of the wretched disease that is your mind and soul, festering like an impregnable disease. He will not die. He cannot die._ " Growling, you roar as you stare deep into the jester's soul, clawing through his very being with your eyes the lunette keeping him in place and your voice the guillotine.

**" _You will not take my king away from me_." **

It is not a woman who frightens him, but a beast that roars and stands tall and fierce like ancient kings and queens while making him kneel at their feet like the foolish, oh-so-terribly-foolish coward he is today. He was a fool of a boy, once. Now he is a fool of a man. Buggy's muscles lock into place just as there’s a shift in the air, shaking and quivering like a feeble leaf.

But yours do not.

Though you are much smaller than him, you don't struggle to hoist your captain back up and hurriedly put on your soaking sunhat, throwing both of your bodies off the platform and down into the cobblestone roads below. Lightning strikes down upon the sinful earth, and the tall wooden construction is bathed in a burst of emerald flames, groaning and burning in a stage of wistful embers as it collides with the cold, hard, sopping wet ground.

You hit the floor, taking the brunt of the fall for the two of you. Metal fragments and badly-aging wooden splinters crash all around you as the execution platform begins to fall apart. Raindrop after raindrop soon follows afterward, the fearless storm soon rolling in.

Gold Roger’s last stop tips over and shatters into a million pieces, like shooting stars, and the crowd freezes as a wave of silence washes over them. After a few moments, Luffy begins to wake up. He uses his elbows to prop himself up, climbing out of your grasp as he looks around, utterly confused by what's transpired within the last few minutes. Most people would have already fainted from sheer shock as to what's just happened if they had been unfortunate to end up in his situation, but Luffy takes it all in stride as he locks eyes with you and laughs freely.

"[Name]! I knew you'd save me!" Adjusting the dampened sunhat on your head, you sigh, half with relief and another half full of exasperation for your captain's reaction.

"Get up. We need to hurry back to the ship." You grab him by the shoulders and prop him up into a sitting position, glancing around to see if the Marines are coming any closer. All of a sudden, as soon as you speak of the devil, soldiers clad in the purest of white and deepest of blue come running, footsteps pounding against the cobblestone roads around you.

~*~

In a nearby building that oversees the entire scene, Smoker freezes. His hand is lifted into the air to give a signal to attack, but he hesitates. It's a though time itself has come to a standstill, his eyes lingering on you and Luffy as the both of you are surrounded by the Marines. Flashes of a certain few people who're long gone from this world come to mind, and Smoker grits his teeth, nearly ripping off the ends of his cigars with his teeth. His hand moves down in a sharp motion, giving the signal for his soldiers to attack.

" _Now!_ Surround the square and capture those pirates!"

Marines flood the execution site from every side. There are more of them than you thought ― and that's not exactly a good thing. Sanji and Zoro soon caught up with the two of you, drenched in rainwater. The four of you continue to run past the incoming group of soldiers, darting back and forth while hopping over a couple of nearby carts and stalls in the midst of your great escape. 

The engine of his Billower Bike roaring loudly, Smoker rides it down the rainy streets of Loguetown. Buggy, Alvida and the rest of their crew have all been captured before they even had the time to put enough of their rotting brain cells together to realize what was happening. The wheels spin faster as his grip on the handlebars tightens. He doesn’t have time for the small fish, seeing as two of the East Blue’s most wanted criminals are getting away. One of them with a couple of answers to a few questions he isn’t sure he wants to learn anytime soon.

He's had enough of seeing the same goddamn ghost haunting him years later.

~*~

"Those guys sure are persistent. Wanna stop and fight 'em?" Luffy hollers over the deafening sound of the rain, making the rest of you groan with exasperation.

"We don't have time! Nami told us to hurry back to the ship!" Sanji replies, continuing to lead all of you back to the Going Merry.

The wind gets stronger and stronger as the Marines come closer and closer to the four of you, pelting your faces with tiny, cold droplets. A single gust lifts the straw hat off Luffy’s head, startling him and almost slips to the ground in order to catch it. You glance back at him, noting how attached he is to that straw hat of his shortly before turning your focus to the road in front of you.

You hear her footsteps moments before you even get the chance to see her through the heavy cascade of rainwater ― a woman who seemed to work alongside the Marines. Her head is bowed down, strands of short black hair keeping her expression hidden from your ever-watchful gaze. Even without seeing her face, Sanji’s already lovestruck with hearts springing out of his eyes.

This is definitely going to end up in a fight ― you can tell, especially when she lifts up her head and sends a painful glare that reeks of disappointment towards Zoro. A hint of curiosity rises in your mind, wondering what exactly could've happened between the two of them, but you brush it off before it can linger in your head any longer than necessary. It doesn’t really matter why she’s after him, especially considering she's part of the Marines. It's only natural for pirates and the dogs of the government to clash with one another.

"Master Chief Tashigi!" You hear some of the soldiers call out, their voices filled with joy and newfound vigor.

Soon enough, she brandishes her weapon and clashes swords with Zoro, startling the rest of you. Continuing to swing their blades back and forth, you tug Sanji and Luffy away from the ongoing fight and try to make your way through the god-awful downpour that doesn't do anything but cause even more trouble than before. Just when you've managed to move away from one sticky situation, here comes another ― a man clad in white clouds and vigilance.

"Who are you?!" Luffy calls out to him, a hand on his lucky straw hat.

"The name's Smoker. Captain Smoker of the Navy. And I'm not letting any of you get away!"

Well, that settles it. Your whole life's just an absolute shit storm today, isn't it? From one obstacle to the next, it's as though whatever higher beings are out there are pulling out all the stops to make sure you can't have one single good day in your amnesiac life. You're light on your feet, so you manage to dodge the incoming mounds of snow white smoke that pours out of his body, but Luffy just so happens to be in the crossfire. Again. For the umpteenth time.

...It's a little late to be saying this, but you wonder if Luffy has even an ounce of common sense inside that head of his.

(Perhaps his stomach's eaten up his brain, or at least, whatever was left of it in the first place.)

Once again, you find yourself leaping to your captain's rescue. Shoving the charcoal black-haired boy to the side, you brace for impact as Smoker grabs you by the head and slams you headfirst into the ground. An immense pain surges through your body, and you grit your teeth in an attempt to block out the incoming set of bruises you'd be getting later on. 

"Who'd have thought you'd end up being the one involved in this mess." He grunts, keeping a gloved hand on your head. Your body's just so petite that his hand easily covers your whole head, much to your chagrin. To think the delicate little lady who smells of lavender and bittersweet memories would be one of the East Blue's most wanted criminals. It's impossible for anything to be predictable anymore in this kind of of world, he guesses.

"[Name]!" Sanji and Luffy cry out, panicking. Luffy stretches his limbs out to reach you, and Sanji tries to land a kick on Smoker, but it's no use. Smoker's hands change into crystal clear vapor clouds and sends the two of them crashing into another set of buildings. Fortunately, you're able to gain some useful insight out of this, though it hurts to see your crewmates in pain. The downside of powers like his is that he has to go from one state to another completely before shifting back again. He can’t just turn into smoke, start shifting back and then turn into smoke again before his body takes on a different form. He needs to become completely solid, first, before anything else.

It feels just like the way you did earlier, rushing over to reach Luffy at the executioner's platform. The moment you jumped out to grab him, when that terrifying wave of each and every single one of the emotions you'd been keeping bottled up inside of you suddenly came pouring out, knocking out all the people around you, it's as though something so _raw_ and _ancient_ ― the moment Smoker lays his hand on you, entrapped in snow white smoke, as soon as you lay your eyes on him, the world stops again.

It's as though your whole entire body is made of seastone **[2]** , revolted by the touch of a Devil Fruit as a wave of nausea soon pours over the man holding you down. Pain flares through his whole entire body, forcing him to turn away from you and endure this strange form of agony that has slithered into him as soon as the man with brown eyes lays his hands on you. Smoker lets out a low grunt of pain, flinching as you slowly lift your head up and frown, confused. All of a sudden, you can feel something deafening and terrifying right behind you. You don’t have a single clue as to how he got here ― you couldn’t hear anything else around you just a moment ago and now you can feel yourself breaking into a nervous sweat not unlike the one Mihawk had caused back when you stood face to face with him on the broken floorboards of the Baratie.

Smoker's broad back that's more than likely twice the size of your whole entire body stops you from seeing whoever it is that's in front of you. The Marine Captain tilts his head, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the hooded figure of a man. His fists clench up as they hit the cobblestone, standing in front of you almost protectively. 

"The government's after your head." Smoker drawls out almost nonchalantly, when he recognizes him.

A wide grin stretches across the stranger’s face, the strange markings on his face the only clear indication of whoever he is.

"The world is waiting for our answer." he says cryptically, his eyes narrowed sharply. The sound of thunder suddenly tears through the air loudly and then the sky turns a sickening emerald green. A powerful gust of wind rolls through Loguetown. Shouting can be heard again, this time as Marines and pirates are lifted up into the air, the wind not knowing to discriminate between the lives of the repentant and the reprehensible. Heavy cannons made of finely carved stone crumble all around the shore, depriving it of the heavy artillery normally used to guard the island. People try to grab onto whatever it is they can, doing their utmost in order to keep themselves from being blown away.

As the merciless gales of the sky grow in strength, you can feel your body being torn away from the ground and can't do anything but watch as you and the snowman who serves the almighty government that runs this world go your separate ways. Right as you fall off the building again for what feels like one time too many, you see Smoker's eyes widen with something that reminds you of fear in its' rawest form as you vanish right in front of him, his terrified face and gloved hands reaching out to you the last thing you see of him.

And as if by chance, you just so happen to land in another person's arms. Looking up, you realize that it's Sanji who ends up carrying you, causing you to blink owlishly in surprise. The blond chef seems to be relieved to know that you didn't suffer any major injuries, and even looks to be a little excited to have you in his arms. 

"[Name]! Thank goodness you're okay!" Sanji cheers as he beams down at you. It makes you a little flustered as you duck your head down and look literally anywhere else but at his smiling face. You sigh softly, starting to finally feel worn out by today's events. What would it take for you to have a single normal day during your travels?

"W-What just happened?" Luffy asks as he holds onto his straw hat. How the hell did he even manage to keep it on his head through all of that? Everyone's eyes widen when they hear a familiar feminine voice calling out.

"Luffy!" Even through the massive downpour of rain and the blasts of wind, you can still hear Nami's voice clear as day. The ship is sailing away, further and further into the depths of the delicate ocean that surrounds this port town.

"We’d better hurry up or the ship will be swept away!" Sanji turns to your captain, urgency in his voice.

"Okay!" Luffy replies, proceeding to run off in the exact opposite direction of the three of you. He raises up his fists as the three of you watch with dread as Luffy proceeds to call out his signature move. You groan quietly, raising both of your hands to cover your face as you feel an incoming headache coming in.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Zoro mutters aloud, his right eye twitching with irritation while beads of sweat meld with incoming droplets of rain down his body as you all watch Luffy jump up and stretch his arms, grabbing onto a pair of metal beams.

~*~

Smoker stands on the shore, staring at the two ships ― one big, the other a lot smaller. The two people with the highest bounties in all of the East Blue have managed to escape from him. The boy who declared himself the future King of the Pirates and a woman like the wind incarnate. His fingers twitch, and he balls them into a pair of fists as he recalls those vivid [eye color] eyes staring up at him. From nearby, a robed man chuckles with triumphant laughter.

"Heh. Go ahead, if that's your way!" The man adorned with a million of emerald green secrets calls out to the sapphire blue sea, spreading his arms out in the form of a fellow traveler's blessing. Smoker raises his gaze towards the man beside him, feeling his teeth grind against the butts of his cigars.

"Why did you help them, Dragon?!" He shouts, revealing the name of a man who's desirable enough for those who reign over their world to want to shove him into a metal cage. The leader of a rebellion that vows to devour those who rule over them, he is the change that this world, one that sings of tradition and utmost devotion, fears. 

"What reason would there be to interfere with that of a man’s departure and the path of a woman turning the tides of destiny?" The man covered in layers of tattoos doesn’t even bother to glance at him, his eyes focused on the two dots growing smaller and smaller, drifting further and further away from his vision as they fade into the deep blue waves surrounding them.

~*~

"Hurry! Hurry!" Usopp cries out, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head at the sight of the four of you. "The rope won't hold much longer!"

Nami runs down to help the dark-haired sniper hang onto the cords of fabric, yelling for all of you to jump onto the ship already. You all rush to make it onto the ship, safe and sound. Looking back, you take one last glance at the small port town, drenched in all of its' glory as you burn that singular image into your mind. 

"...Sanji, you can let go of me now." His hands were starting to feel a little too clammy for your taste.

~*~

"We're terribly sorry, sir. We lost Buggy's pirates when that big blast of wind struck―"

"Forget that. We're going after Straw Hat and the Tempest. Get to the ship and set sail for the Grand Line." Smoker barks, marching past his crew. The rest of his soldiers cry out in confusion towards his words, disbelief clear as day on their faces in response to what exactly they'd just heard.

"Good! I'm going with you, then." Tashigi added, appearing right behind Smoker, still drenched in rainwater.

"Chief! You too?!"

"That Zoro won't get away with this!" She grinded her teeth, adjusting her crimson red-framed glasses as she brushed away a set of sopping wet dark blue locks. "I'll capture him with my own hands!"

"B-But the Grand Line is outside of your jurisdiction! What will our superiors say?" Another soldier wails, his hands quaking with fright. And with those last few words, Smoker snaps. The poor soldier stands face to face with the red hot visage of his superior officer's terrifying face. 

"' _You don't tell me what to do.'_ Go tell them that!"

~*~

Buggy’s ship tears out of the docks, the sides of the ship bumping against a pair of common trading vessels. All of his crew and some of Alvida’s own have safely made it on board, though worse for wear with a plethora of bright red and blue bruises across their bodies.

“Where are we going now?” Alvida asks with her arms, decorated with a large variety of jewels, crossed over her ample chest.

"To the Grand Line!" Buggy replies with a grin so wide it almost resembles some sort of feral creature. "This is an excellent opportunity. And I want to get even with that darn rubber boy, too. Let's go after them."

His eyes narrow rather dangerously, memories of his travels with another crew surfacing once more. Along with that comes the reminder of a woman with the eyes of a beast staring back at him, cursing him and him alone with all of her being. It was almost exactly like he was looking back into the eyes of ―

No. Silently, the man with the red nose grits his teeth as he closes his eyes. This is not the time to be thinking about someone long gone from this world. They're long gone from this world, but he's still here. 

And now, with his eye on the prize, the red-nosed fool heads down the path he's chosen all for himself.

~*~

Altogether, the five of you lift your legs up into the stormy sky, completely unfazed by the crash of turbulent waves and the crackle of thunder that slips through the cracks of the sky. You swing your leg down onto the wooden barrel in front of you, your dreams clear as day within each and every single one of your hearts and souls as the nearby lighthouse shines its' golden light towards the road in front of you, to the Grand Line.

The wooden container breaks, shattering into a million pieces as it marks the true beginning of your adventures. 

You're more than ready for whatever comes your way.

_________________________

**LEXICON :**

[1] _**News Coo**_ ― Medium-sized seagulls that deliver newspapers and wanted posters around the world. They wear hats to signify their employment and carry bags over their shoulders, just like a paperboy and a small bag that hangs on the neck to collect money from anyone that purchased the newspaper. They are the main source of news and information for people across the globe. News Coo normally perch themselves around a ship's mast or fly through the air until they are called to deliver the news. They do not deliver newspapers to the Calm Belt. It's also apparently possible to deliver private letters through them, but that requires prior negotiation first.

[2] _**Seastone**_ ― A naturally occurring (though apparently rare) substance that can drain the energy of Devil Fruit users to the point where they can't consciously control their powers. Dr. Vegapunk, the leading scientist in the employment of the Marines, has invented revolutionary ways to use this rare substance. The Marines appear to have vast quantities of it, using it for jail cells, handcuffs, weapons, and the bottoms of battleships. Supposedly rumored to have originated from the isolated country of Wano, located deep within the New World, the second half of the Grand Line.


	6. V. CALL ME, ISHMAEL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a beast weeps as their tears blend with the waves, destined for loneliness. you both pray for eachother's happiness.

[unedited]

Life, as you soon find out, never goes quite as planned.

As soon as you returned safe and sound to the ship, you waddled back to the small room shared between you and Nami. Shuffling beneath the piles of soft, velvety blankets laid across the spare hammock hanging inside, you immediately blacked out. You're not entirely sure how or why it might've happened, but if you were to take a guess, it must've been connected to the intense strain on your body after that strange power you'd used earlier. 

It was confusing. You'd read countless books before, ranging from the wildest of fantasies to the clearest of facts, but what had just taken place confused you to no end. The sudden wave of strength that formed around you, knocking out every single person that stood in your way, just what was it? It was like all of the emotions that bubbled and boiled inside of you suddenly came pouring out, overwhelming you like a tidal wave in the midst of a heart-pounding hurricane. As though your body had willed it, summoning forth all of the rage and hatred and fear stored from within your bosom, it all crawled out of you like a hungry beast in search of its' prey. As soon as you'd been rescued by the others, you could feel a terrible pounding in your head, your body aching all the same. You mulled over it a bit more before giving yourself away to a restful slumber, trying to piece everything together.

Here you were, with only a name and an unfamiliar body hollowed out without any memories to call your own. And now, you've discovered a secret strength that goes above and beyond the boundaries of common sense. Like a wave of intense rage, a god descending upon a field of mortal and terribly feeble men, it was something so terrifying and confusing and hard to know or understand all at once. Whatever your strange ability was, it definitely was something important to you. Although it's difficult to recall anything from your past, and despite how you'd never heard of any act of strength like what you had just done, the way in which all of that raw power swirled around you was so, so familiar, yet at the same time, it wasn't.

You sigh, burying your head into a pair of milky white pillows. The rain continues to flow down into the sea, droplets of water descending like shooting stars as they tap and tap against the window. Not too far away, you can hear the voices of your crew mates as they review the route to the Grand Line **[1]** once more, pots and pans whistling within the kitchen.

Just before heading off to take a well-deserved cat nap, you'd helped in confirming which path you'd be taking to cross over to the Grand Line with Nami. The two of you had been going over this plan over and over again, weeks in advance. In a way, the woman with citrus colored locks came to view you as a mentor of sorts, checking over her work while adding in a few helpful comments here and there. After reviewing the general geography of the region, you both agreed that the optimal path would involve climbing over the nearby mountain through a waterway.

It was risky, and to anyone else, it might have marked the two of you off as insane and carted you off to asylum, but this was better than any of the other options available. Hopefully, the storm would be able to guide all of you towards the entrance of the mountain. After that, it'd be smooth sailing until you hit land again.

~*~

You thought wrong. 

At one point, you'd been abruptly woken up by the sight of a large pair of eyes staring at you through one of the tiny windows of the ship. You could faintly hear the pounding of footsteps and panicked shouts and melodramatic wails through the walls of the ship, but seeing as you were still tired as ever, you didn't even snap out of your drowsy fervor. Somewhere outside, Nami and the others were screaming about some sort of creatures coming out of the water, whatever that was. Unfortunately for them, you still thought you were in the midst of a strange, surreal dream and did absolutely nothing to help. 

"Could you _please_ just let me go back to sleep in peace?" You murmured, eyes drooping like a sloth's. Your hair was in a mess, strands of [hair color] hair tangled into the manner of a bird's nest, and your eyes had dark bags that could've matched a raccoon's. 

The strange creature outside of the ship continued to stare back at you, as though it were in a trance before you felt as though the entire ship was being placed down rather gently, like a child who'd just been scolded for running inside the house with messy clothes. As soon as that happened, you fell right back asleep.

What a strange dream. You'd have to tell the others about it later.

~*~

What would it take to have a single day to yourself?

At this rate, you couldn't even sleep in peace anymore.

Staring vacantly at a clear blue sky and puffy white clouds, yet with no wind to guide the weather along with a set of motionless birds, you were greeted with yet another concerning sight. Nami had burst through the door, shaking you awake while screaming about everyone being eaten up by a whale. After helping you fix your hair and smooth out the wrinkles in your clothes, she grabbed you by the wrist and led you outside to this....mess.

"What do you think?" Nami's voice was terribly confused and held not even a single ounce of her usual boisterous confidence, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"What do I think..." Zoro mumbled, taking in these strange new surroundings.

"I don't know what to think." Sanji said, lighting yet another cigarette. "I was sure that whale swallowed us."

As Usopp began to sputter nonsense about all of this being some sort of hallucination, you held that same blank look in your eyes since you'd woken up, completely unsure as to how you should respond to all of this. Unfortunately, you were still half-asleep since you'd crashed into your pillows the moment you left Loguetown.

Slowly but surely, everyone was starting to realize that you had a terrible habit of sleeping whenever possible. At one point during your journey, Usopp had been tasked with waking you up one morning, and nearly sent the entire ship into a panic when he couldn't wake you up. Turns out you hadn't died in your sleep, you just slept exactly like the dead. Which wasn't really....something to be all that proud of.

Your ship's been swallowed up by a whale and for whatever reason, the interior has been decorated as well, with a tiny little house in the distance. You sighed, raising one of your hands to your temple, trying to think of something to say.

"Is this a dream?" Usopp asks, and you're almost tempted to jump into the acidic stomach acid surrounding the ship. _Almost._

"Then it just so happens that we're all sharing the same, terrible dream of being eaten up by a whale with a lovely interior?" Your words shut the rest of them up soon enough. 

Right as soon as you say that, a Neptunian squid emerges from the whale's stomach acids. Nami and Usopp let out a pair of god-awful screams, clinging onto you like some sort of lifeline. Zoro and Sanji take a defensive stance, ready to launch an attack. You squirm around within Nami and Usopp's grasp, like a spoiled cat being coddled to death by their terribly rich and overly-doting human mother.

Before they could even do anything, the doors to the little house swing open. A set of giant harpoons come flying forward, shooting straight through the pitiful squid's slimy body. Despite this chaotic situation, you find yourself wondering what it'd taste like to eat such a big squid. Do those Sea Kings **[2]** taste even better than their miniature counterparts? These are the kinds of questions that deserve answers.

"It looks like somebody lives here." Zoro's eyes light up with a fierce and intense kind of excitement, his hand still resting on the pommel of his katana. 

"I hope they're human." Sanji grins, beads of sweat running down his face. Nami and Usopp continue to whine and sob, nearly squeezing the life out of you. You try to take in the whole situation once more, sorting out everything that just so happened while you were asleep. Somehow, the ship wandered off and landed in the Calm Belt and was attacked by a horde of Sea Kings, and now you're sitting inside of a whale.

...You're not sure if you should be impressed or upset about this staggering chain of events.

All of a sudden, a shadow appears within the house's doorway. The situation grew tense, leaving all of you waiting with bated breath as a pair of wooden sandals clacked against the ground, calm and steady as they stepped into the light. What came out honestly didn't do anything but leave you even more exasperated than before, staring at a tall, elderly man with a plethora of colorful petals stuck to his balding scalp.

“Ah?! It’s a flower!” Sanji calls out and you sigh for the umpteenth time today.

“A flower?” Zoro wonders, as you all stare at the odd-looking stranger.

“Oh. Never mind. It’s a person,” Sanji soon corrects himself, his cigarette nearly falling out of his mouth as he gapes at the newcomer openly.

“That old man killed a Neptunian Squid in just one hit!” Nami’s voice is a little shaky, though definitely impressed.

“Was he just fishing…? Or did he do it to save us…?” Sanji mutters, placing a hand on his chin.

The man slowly bends down, gripping onto bundles of rope. His arms carry a tall tale, despite the wear and tear of his age, with scars running down his arms and voluminous muscles born from harsh labor and refined strength. Fastening his catch to a sturdy set of bolts so it doesn't drift away, he straights his back and takes another step forward towards a cozy beach chair nestled beneath the cool shade of a palm tree, his narrow eyes seeming as though they were trying to pierce right through all of you.

It's not all that easy to notice, but you see the faintest of smiles on the stranger's face, a hint of a dimple showing on one side of his cheek as his lips quirked in amusement. Having already broken out of your crewmates' grasp, you raise a hand to your mouth to try and cover up the sound of your laughter. Watching as Sanji and the others grew more and more rigid with every step the stranger took, you could feel a sense of mischief blossoming from within him. Rather unceremoniously, the flowery man plopped down into his beach chair and pulled out a newspaper. 

You struggle to stifle a snort, turning to the side to try and hide the uncharacteristically large grin threatening to split open on your face. The old man's gaze flickers over to your crumpled form, and his eyes seem to crinkle at the corners with childish amusement. A fellow friend of the same form of comedy, it seems. It reminds him of a certain someone long ago, once upon a time when he set sail with a man that carried dreams as big as the sea itself and a wanderer as vibrant as all of the world's wondrous mysteries. It's a shame, he chuckles quietly to himself, that they're no longer here. Where did they run off to, when they were loved so deeply?

_~~What a pity. He's sure they would've liked someone like you. You're just like them.~~_

"Say something, darn you!" The blond chef lets out a string of curses, almost as though he were a fire-breathing dragon with his voice roaring across the acidic seas down below.

"I-If you wanna fight, we'll fight, you bastard! We've even got a cannon!" Usopp barks, his limbs as wriggly as a slug fresh out of water with his knees trembling like a broken metronome. He hides behind you, gripping onto your shoulders like a lifeline, much to your continuous exasperation. Yet the old man continues to stare at each and every one of you, unfazed with a gaze that's even all the more fierce than before with not even a single second spent to take a blink, only widening more and more like the endlessly large eyes of a fish.

"Forget it. You'd better not try it, or someone's going to die." His voice replies, low and raspy with tender age.

Usopp and Nami let out another terrible string of horrified shrieks, ducking behind you once more. Zoro grits his teeth while Sanji narrows his eyes, the two of them taking another step closer to the three of you rather protectively.

"Oh, yeah? And who would that be?" Sanji asks with a smirk on his face, a continuous river of sweat flowing down his neck.

"Me." The elderly man replies in a deadpan tone, continuing to flip through the pages of his newspaper. A single tear prickling at your eye, you wheeze as you try and hide your amusement once more. Your little snort causes Zoro to look over at you, quirking a brow in faint surprise.

"Now listen, you―!" A large burst from Sanji's skin, pulsating right above his curled brows.

"Hey now, don't get all riled up," Zoro pats the cook on the shoulder with a smug grin. "Who are you, mister? And where the heck are we?"

The elderly man's gaze grows all the more harsher than before, with eyes deader than the ones you'd find on a corpse in the middle of a grave. Crinkling the pages of the newspaper in his hands ever so slightly, he opens his mouth to speak up.

"Isn't it proper etiquette to introduce yourself before you start asking people questions?"

"Hm?" The swordsman seems a little startled, bashfully placing a hand on the back of his head. "You're right. Sorry about that, my name's―"

"My name is Crocus," The elderly man cuts him off while adjusting his glasses. "I'm the keeper of the Twin Capes Lighthouse. I'm 71 years old and a Gemini. My blood type is AB―"

"I'm gonna chop him up!" Zoro roars, and Usopp rushes over to grab him by the shoulder to try and calm him down. His rage is even worse than Sanji's, already beginning to unsheathe his blades. You can't even try and keep a straight face anymore, and you burst out laughing. Hands barely hanging onto the ship's railing to keep yourself upright, happiness spills out from your lips like petals caught in the springtime breeze, a type of unfiltered joy that you haven't felt in forever pouring out of you like a tidal wave. Tears as soft as starlight trail down from the corners of your eyes, a glittering shade of [eye color] that sings like gold.

This man is absolutely pure gold, gold! King Midas would grit his teeth and tear apart his aureate nails with boiling envy!

The rest of the crew stares at you with eyes and jaws as wide as a school of fish, completely thrown off the rails by your actions. Your laughter is as bright as the sun, your sweet smile more blinding than the heavens themselves. In all of the time they've spent with you right beside them, they've never seen you act as freely as you are now. As bashful as a herd of fawns with flustered faces, every single one of them can't help but want to seal this scene into their minds for the rest of their lives.

"You want to know where this is? How dare you invade my personal resort and order me around like a bunch of big shots! Where do you think you are, in the belly of a mouse?!"

"Then...that whale really did swallow us after all..." Usopp murmurs, his eyes nearly bulging right out of his skull in sheer shock as he looks up at the painted sky with a little more scrutiny.

"Wait, what's gonna happen to us?" Nami panics, hands on her head. "I don't wanna be digested!"

"Good grief, hardly any of you have even an ounce of humor," Crocus sighs, turning his head to give you a rather appreciate nod. "Besides the little lady standing next to you."

Still hanging over the railings, you lift a shaky hand up to your face to wipe away a stray tear with a small smile on your face. Nodding in return, you push aside a few locks of hair dangling in front of your face and chuckle softly. 

"Apologies, I'm sure they don't mean to act like that. Their preferences in humor are a little more unique than ours." You feel like a silly old lady, letting out another unlikely snort as you think about your crews' behavior within the last few minutes. Your entire body feels like jello, shoulders shaking like wind chimes caught within a gust of air. 

"As for the exit, it's right over there." Crocus lifts up one of his hands and points to a large set of doors not too far from the ship.

"Hold on a second..." The sniper stares up at the motionless birds above the clouds. "The sky and clouds, they're all just paintings!"

"It's a hobby of mine." Crocus mentions, returning to read the newspaper in his hands.

"What on earth are you up to?!" 

"Forget him," The swordsman placed a hand on Usopp's shoulder, turning his head back. "There's the exit. Let's just get out of here."

All of a sudden, the ship begins to rock beneath your feet. It startles the rest of the crew, with the piercing cries of a beast echoing all around you. You frown, placing a hand up to one of your ears to try and block out the noise, but it's no use. It's...strange. You can't help but feel a little sad when your hear the pitiful sounds pouring out of the whale, your heart clenching once more. It's not a feeling you're all too happy to recognize, taking in a deep breath as you close your eyes, just for a moment.

~~_You used to be like that too. But...are you really all that different now?_~~

"Hey! If we don't get out of here, we could be killed! And Luffy, too!"

"I don't think he's here inside the whale's stomach," You mentioned, hanging onto the ship as it began to shake back and forth from the whale's movements. "Didn't he get tossed out of the whale's stomach earlier?"

Out of nowhere, Crocus jumped out from his seat and dived right into sea of stomach acids, shocking the rest of you. 

"He's heading for the exit!" Usopp shouted, turning around to look at the gate. "We'd better get out of here, too. Before the whale gets any crazier."

Right as he finishes saying that, there's another loud sound from nearby. Stunned, you all look up to see Luffy and two strangers clad in oddly extravagant clothing with large bazookas flying straight towards your ship. Blinking owlishly, you make a grimace and look away just in time to see Crocus climbing up a long ladder leading to another room.

"Hey! The old man's getting away!" Usopp shouts, jabbing a finger at the flower-headed man. You wave your hand in a dismissive manner, walking down the ship.

"Forget it. We need to go and save Luffy. It's not necessarily seawater, but he might not be able to swim at all right now." Your words catch everyone's attention, sending them running all over the place to try and scoop Luffy back up and onto the ship.

~*~

Further inside the strange building inside the whale's stomach, Crocus frowns as he rotates a large syringe. Having prepared it as a tranquilizer to ease the poor whale Laboon's pains, the keeper of the lighthouse takes aim and shoots. It seems to have hit it's mark, and the shrill cries and heavy rumbling soon begin to subside. He knew it all to well; More than likely, the sea creature had been trying to break down the barrier to the Grand Line.

"That rock wall separates the world's seas. You couldn't break it even if you pounded your head til it turned into mush." He adjusts the round spectacles on his face, sighing wistfully.

Aboard the ship, the rest of you help Luffy and the two strangers land safely and surround them. Sanji coos over the woman with cotton candy blue hair, while you walk over to check whether or not your captain's gained any new injuries. For the most part, he seems to be fine, so that's a bit of a relief. The dark-haired boy laughs, mentioning something about your fingers tickling his rubbery skin as you scan him over one more time just to be sure.

"As long as I live, you'll never harm Laboon!" Crocus bellows, standing outside the painted gates. Hearing his declaration loud and clear, the young man and woman you'd picked up begin to snicker as they lift up their weapons.

"Oh, yeah? Even though we're already inside of his stomach? There's nothing to stop us from blasting a hole right through his insides!" In perfect unison, they fired two large bullets at the inner walls of the whale only for Crocus to jump and take the blow, landing back into the sea of stomach acid. 

"That...! Was he protecting the whale this whole time!" Nami gasps, beads of sweat running down her cheek.

"Your efforts are nothing!" The woman with blue hair laughs, reloading the bazooka launcher in her hand. "You can't stop us! This whale's going to be food for our village!"

They hardly seem to care about what they've just done. Having wounded an elderly man and merely preparing to shoot once again, more than ready to take aim at another person's life, it's like they don't have even an ounce of remorse to spare for their actions just now. Staring at the two of them, beaming with joy at the trouble they've caused, your blood begins to boil.

"...What the hell are you talking about?" You whisper, turning around to suddenly glare at the duo. You're clearly irritated, having just seen the way that Crocus nearly sacrificed his life to protect the whale. Just one more hit could be fatal for him, ending his life. As piercing as an eagle hovering over its' wounded prey, a pair of [eye color] eyes resembling the calm before a storm causes them to become startled at how terrifying you look right as Luffy knocks the two out with his fists.

They drop to the floor, rendered unconscious almost immediately. The boiling rage you'd once felt immediately subsides, soon replaced with an awkward silence as everyone stares at him, grunting with steam coming out of his nostrils. 

...It's a little anti-climatic. 

~*~

"Laboon is an island whale, a species that lives only in the West Blue." Crocus explains, leaning back in his seat while you rolled gauze around his bruised arms. "They're the biggest whales in the world. Those scoundrels are from a nearby village. With the amount of meat they could get from Laboon's flesh, they'd probably be able to live just fine for two or three years."

"But I won't let them do it!" Pounding his fist on the arm of the beach chair, Crocus narrowed his eyes. "There's a reason he keeps pounding against the Red Line and crying towards Reverse Mountain." 

Crocus told your crew as much as he could about Laboon. While serving as a lighthouse keeper, Crocus had encountered a friendly group of pirates who'd traveled down Reverse Mountain with Laboon following right behind them. Having sailed through the West Blue together, they'd grown close but eventually tried to abandon the whale while entering the Grand Line, knowing the journey would be fraught with danger. Their ship had been damaged so they'd stayed at the Twin Capes for several months and formed a bond with Crocus. The ship's captain had entrusted Crocus with looking after Laboon while they went off to the Grand Line, hoping to return someday.

"So that's why he keeps banging his head against the cliffs and calling to the other side..." Nami marveled aloud, eyes widening.

"...That was more than 50 years ago." Everyone drank in his words, staring back at Crocus with shock. You find yourself frowning again, recalling the heart-wrenching sorrow through Laboon's cries. Waiting alone for all of eternity, with nothing to show for it aside from the millions of scars having bloomed across their wilting skin. A gnawing kind of pain within themselves, and a heart that begins to break into a million pieces, you can feel your own heart grow heavy with the same sorrow that no one else can feel.

...It's not a good feeling.

~*~

What is the height of stupidity?

About the height of a rubber man, you'd suppose.

"What's that idiot doing now?" Lighting a cigarette, Sanji cranes his head along with the rest of the crew to look over at Luffy. Having exited the whale through a strange system of waterways developed by Crocus, all of you sat at a table not too far from the lighthouse that Crocus maintained.

"You take your eyes off him for one second and―" You sat next to Zoro, watching as Luffy jumped on top of Laboon with the ship's mast in his hands. Letting out a fierce roar, the dark-haired boy slammed the mast into the bleeding wound on Laboon's head, impaling the poor whale's flesh.

...What?

"Hey, isn't that our mast?" Usopp points out in a rather quiet voice, pausing from tinkering with the set of tools in his hands. 

Laboon froze for a moment before letting out a shrill scream, mixed with fear and confusion all at once. A tidal wave of tears the size of pristine diamonds streaming from its' eyes, the sea creature became overwhelmed by the weight of its' emotions and cried all over again.

Like a falling house of cards, everyone flew into a hurricane of chaos. The rest of the crew screeching and cursing at your captain, Crocus' skin turning as pale as a ghost at the sight of Laboon being injured once more, goodness! It was all too much for you to handle, turning away to place a hand on your head and ease the tangled mess of migraines digging into your head again.

"Wha―?! Hey, kid!" Crocus shouts at Luffy, shaking like a leaf as Nami places a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay!" The freckled girl reassures him. "Not even that whale can smash Luffy!"

Laboon leapt out of the sea and onto a narrow patch of land close to the lighthouse, attempting to throw Luffy off. Silently, you turn away from the god-awful scene happening in front of you and pray to some sweet and merciful god out there that the situation won't get worse and somehow grant you a luxurious moment of well-deserved peace and silence. 

"[Name], stop praying and help!" Nami cries out, watching you go through all five stages of grief in the span of a minute.

"I think now would be the perfect time to pray," You respond, eyes still closed. "If anything, we could use a miracle right about now."

The next few minutes are spent kneeling in prayer as everyone screams their heads off, stuck watching Luffy actually fistfight a whale. You sit and watch with a dulled shine in your eyes, briefly reminiscing about the beginning of your journey. As bits and pieces of shattered bricks crumble and scatter down onto the ground beside you, there's a part of you that can't help but contemplate the ups and downs of choosing to travel with Luffy.

Luffy lunges forward and lands a sour-sweet sucker punch near Laboon's jaw, and another wave of salty seawater comes crashing down on the rest of the crew who are standing right nearby. Usopp looks as though he's ready to faint, while Sanji and Zoro are spitting more curses than you've heard them say within a whole week. Nami keeps yelling at Luffy while trying to calm down Crocus, who looks mere seconds away from needing to be carted off to the nearest hospital with the amount of veins bursting and pulsating through his skin while trying to run forward and stop the fight. 

Ah, you wonder if you should've stayed with Coby after all.

~*~

After what seems like a dreadfully long nightmare, the fight ends. Completely showered with bruises, Luffy stays hunched over down in his spot right near the lighthouse, as quiet as a mouse. Out of nowhere, a smug grin appears on his face, lifting a battered hand up to adjust the straw hat on his head.

"It's a draw!" Luffy announces. "I'm pretty strong, huh?!" 

Laboon seems to have been caught by surprise, owlishly blinking in utter disbelief at his words. Bobbing up and down along the ocean's waves, he stares.

"Our match isn't over just yet, so we're gonna have to settle it later." Charcoal black eyes that shine like the night sky, there's a roaring hot fire deep within them. "Your friends may be gone for good, but now you've got a rival―me!"

"After we circle the Grand Line," Standing up, he marches forward with a bright smile on his face as the whale begins to tear up. "I'm coming back here, and we're gonna fight!"

Softly, you smile and watch with a tender gaze as the whale sings a cry of happiness. Having been given another reason to keep living in such a lonely world, Laboon's heart seems to have begun mending itself. Slowly but surely, your captain's words bathe him in the same ray of hope that ensnared you within its' jaws. A taste for adventure, lulling you in like the sweet nectar of a forbidden flower. Your heart grows all the more fonder, knowing that someone out there shares in the same sweet happiness as you do now.

~*~

"From now on, this is our fight promise!" Luffy declares, beaming at the poorly drawn Jolly Roger painted on Laboon's head. Drenched in a messy bouquet of red, white, yellow, and black paint, Luffy admires his shoddy handiwork.

"So until I get back, don't go ramming it into stuff and erasing it before we get back!" Laboon gives a small cry in agreement, much more docile than before. With that situation cleared up, the rest of the crew goes about their usual errands. 

"Now then, let's plan our voyage." Nami sits down next to you, taking out her journal to go over the notes that the both of you have collected. You lean over, reviewing the notes about your current stock of materials and whatever else you'd purchased prior to entering the Grand Line, humming softly.

Sanji whistles a tune as he begins chopping the Elephant True Bluefin he'd bought back in Loguetown, while Usopp works on repairing the Going Merry's mast. Zoro begins to doze off, ignoring Usopp shouting for him to lend a hand. 

"So what if we went this way?" Nami asks you, pointing at a certain route through the Grand Line. Placing a hand underneath your chin, you take a closer look and think it over but shake your head in disagreement.

"At first glance, yes, but it'd be tougher to weave through the rocky terrain, not counting the bad weather. I heard from a couple of merchants back in Loguetown who'd sailed back from another seaport in the Grand Line about it..."

The two of you go back and forth like this, Nami looking to you for advice as she begins piecing together a proper route for the crew to follow. Patiently guiding her along the way but allowing her to figure things out on her own, you offer your own knowledge on maritime travel and ideas on certain territories within the Grand Line based on bits and pieces of information you'd combed from people who'd apparently traveled there before. Pausing from sketching out a new path, the ginger-haired girl looked over at her compass only to let out a shrill scream that caused everyone to look over at her.

"The compass!" She cried out, coffee brown eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. "Is it broken?! It's spinning like crazy!"

"Your compass isn't broken." Crocus replied, walking over to the two of you. "Many of the islands here are rich in minerals. This means that the region is filled with numerous abnormal magnetic fields.

"And to make matters worse, the sea and wind currents follow no clear pattern. As a mariner, you must realize how dangerous that is," Crocus walks over to grab a dish with some food for himself, continuing his speech. "If you were to set sail without knowing this, you'd surely perish. And without another way of telling the direction, your journey will be hopeless."

"I...I didn't know." Nami stuttered, beads of sweat rolling down her cheek. 

"This is bad! Are you sure you can handle it?!" Usopp shouted at her, frightened out of his wits. Luffy hopped onto the table, begin to chomp down on the Bluefin Trunk that Sanji had cooked up earlier. You watched him eat, sliding an extra plate filled with food further away from him, already knowing your captain's terrible eating habits.

"You've got to have a Log Pose **[3]** if you're going to sail the Grand Line."

"Huh? What's that?"

"It's a special compass that records magnetic fields. They have an unusual shape."

"Like this?" Luffy mumbled, mouth full of food as he used one of his hands to pull out a strange-looking compass. Crocus nodded in reply, still explaining the purpose of the object as Nami punched the dark-haired boy right in the face. You heard it from Luffy earlier when he came by to eat, having found it off of one of the strange people you'd encountered earlier while stuck inside of Laboon. Ignoring the two of them quarreling right beside you, you focused your attention on the Log Pose in your hand.

"It doesn't have any markings..." You noted aloud, staring at the red and white needle in the center of the glass orb.

"Many of the islands here in the Grand Line have magnetic fields that operate according to their own peculiar laws," Crocus explained. "Therefore, you must record the magnetic field that connects one island to another in the Log Pose before sailing to the next island."

You pulled out a spare notepad from the pockets of your clothes and scribbled down some more things that the elderly lighthouse keeper informed you about. On this ocean, normal navigation instruments were basically useless, so you'd have to rely almost entirely on your Log Pose to display and identify the magnetic fields. Using the nearby mountains as your ship's starting point, you'll have to pick one out of seven magnetic fields. No matter which island you choose to travel to first, all the routes will eventually merge into one. All of them leading to one place in particular...

"...Raftel." There's a strange feeling that comes through just a single word; Bittersweet, almost regretful in a way. A flicker of sadness shines in the old man's eyes, but it fades away within the blink of an eye as he continues to tell his tale. "It's the last island of the Grand Line. In all of history, only one group of pirates is known to have landed there for sure: the crew of the Pirate King. Raftel is the stuff of legend."

"Is that where it is?! The One Piece?!" Usopp shouts, slamming his hands on the wooden table in excitement.

"Perhaps. No other legend is as tempting, yet no one else has ever reached the island." 

"Until we get there, right? Alright, let's go! I'm done eating." Burping, the boy with the straw hat leans back with a belly full of food. Usopp and Sanji scream, stunned by the fact that Luffy's ate everyone's dinner, bones and all. Meanwhile, you hand the Log Pose over to Nami and watch as she wraps it around her wrist.

"A Log Pose, eh? I'd better be careful with it. The fate of our journey rests with this." Yet as soon as she says that, Sanji kicks Luffy and sends him flying right by the two of you. The Log Pose immediately shatters from the sheer force of wind, leaving the two of you stunned into silence. Moments later, you watch as Nami stomps over and tosses the two of them into the sea, cursing to high heaven.

...Was she always that strong?

"What'll we do, Crocus?! Our Log Pose is..."

"Don't panic." He laughs, grinning back at all of you. "You can have mine as thanks for saving Laboon."

~*~

"Alright, it's time. The Log Pose should be full by now."

A few hours passed, and the ship has been repaired as best as it can at the moment. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Luffy agreed to let the troublesome duo from earlier, who you later found to be named Ms. Wednesday and Mr. 9, come aboard the Going Merry and travel to a town by the name of Whisky Peak. Sanji re-checks the ingredients left in stock within the kitchen for the next few weeks, Usopp walks around to make sure most of the ship is still alright after Luffy's antics. Zoro is...sleeping, as per usual. Nami stands near the ship, checking over the map and any other information that Crocus can provide while you spend the last few minutes before your departure to play with Laboon. Every so often, you'd splash water at each other and play a small round of hide-and-seek. It was fun, and you had to admit, it was cute to see how excited the whale was about every little thing you did. Wagging his tail, squeaking whenever you found him even when he was bobbing up and down in plain sight along the waves, night-colored eyes as bright as diamonds...

...He was kind of like a dog. A water dog, maybe? Seadog? Water puppy?

...Are you okay?

Smiling, you laugh when Laboon leans over to nudge you softly when he found you hiding behind Crocus' beach chair. Stepping out of your hiding spot, you glance back at the rest of the crew, buried in their work before turning your gaze back towards the sea. Deep blue waves rippling back and forth like the hands of a clock, dancing to a silent rhythm accompanied by the wind, this is but a mere moment of silence before your journey into the unknown.

"...It's a big world out there, huh?" Laboon hums, blinking owlishly as they lean into your gentle touch, caressing their head while tracing small circles on their skin. The sound of hope and excitement sings from within your chest, and you push a stray lock of [hair color] hair away from your face as an ocean's breeze passes by.

The sun rises and bathes the world in a golden light, and new beginnings are coming your way.

~*~

Crocus watches as the Going Merry fades into the distance, Laboon by his side. The whale lets out a joyful cry, bidding all of you farewell in the hopes that you will return someday. What a peculiar group you are, all connected by the same boy with a straw hat and a smile as bright as the sun. He can't help but laugh quietly to himself, remembering the days of his youth. When he hungered for adventure like any other, wanting to explore every nook and cranny of the world. He even found those just like him, with dreams as big as the stars, a group of people he grew to cherish.

Those days are long gone, however.

Watching as the ship disappeared beyond the oceans' waves and the soaring clouds, the old seafarer can't help but grow nostalgic at the sight. The journey wouldn't be easy, especially with how little knowledge they had prior to entering the Grand Line. But, Crocus smiled, he was sure they'd be able to push through somehow, just like them.

The Grand Line was terrifying. With unforeseeable obstacles and ever-changing pathways, the seas were merciless towards anyone who dared to travel them. How many people had he seen dive past the boundaries between the rest of the world and the Pirates' Graveyard only to never return? Hundreds, thousands; More than he could ever hope to count in a single sitting.

A Log Pose was necessary to traverse the waters of the Grand Line; anyone knew that. How else could you find your way? Yet, despite all of that, there was only one person he knew that never needed such a thing. Crocus leans down into the beach chair situated right near the lighthouse, watching Laboon swim around happily. He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

In all of his years as the keeper of the lighthouse beyond the Grand Line, he'd never met someone as stunning as them. As beautiful as an open field of flowers, yet as mysterious as the world's seas and all of their secrets, they felt as though they belonged to another world entirely. Like a deity descending into the lands of those who can only bow in acceptance of their overwhelmingly alluring yet deadly presence, each step taken with confidence in face of the unknown, just like everyone else around him; he, too, came to admire their existence. They knew everything, _so_ many things, nothing he ever could've hoped to imagine in his wildest dreams.

Years later, he wonders where they are right now. He hopes they're happy. It's all that he could ever hope for them, and he's sure everyone else is thinking the same thing, loved so dearly and delicately.

"Could that bunch be the pirates we're waiting for?" Crocus hums, thinking about the crew aboard the Going Merry, his newest friends. "That boy's got a strange charm about him...right, Roger?"

His captain's name rolls off of his tongue like wine; So many years since then, yet it sings with the same old charming tune as the day he first met that man with a smile as blinding as the sun in the sky. A myriad of faces surface within the old man's mind, and he smiles ruefully. With each face that returns, their name follows right after, and even now he can still remember― 

All of a sudden, his eyes widen. Like lightning, he jumps out of his seat, as though he's seen a ghost of the past. Ignoring the curious cries of his companion, Crocus runs back inside the lighthouse. Slamming the doors open, he dives into the pile of papers on his old work desk, shoving old journals and newspaper clippings off of his desk and sliding all the drawers wide open. Frantically, he searches through every nook and cranny of the room, a fire in his eyes as though the devil's crawling down his back. There's hardly anything left from those days, but if he's correct...

His search comes to fruition, finding exactly what he needed. Shaking, trembling, Crocus finds himself almost afraid to confirm his own suspicions. That voice, that name, although they don't look quite the same as before, yet somehow familiar all the same, as though nothing else but the world has changed while they stay the same; like a painting lost in time...

An old framed photograph in his worn, wrinkled hands, Crocus takes it all in. A memory of the past; A crew of seafarers who dream of conquering the world, a man with dreams larger than the sun standing in the center, someone standing right beside him...

A pair of [eye color] eyes, dark and enchanting like the forbidden fruit desired by faithful Adam and curious Eve, stare back at him. He's seen those eyes before, so many times, and how is it that he's only realizing it now? Standing right in front of him, laughing and smiling with him, old memories surfacing and nearly toppling like an overflowing cup of water. Crocus sinks to his knees, beads of sweat still running down his neck as he puts his head in his hands. After what seems like an eternity in that poorly-lit room, he laughs.

How could he ever forget someone like you?

_________________________

**LEXICON :**

[1] _**Grand Line**_ ― The ocean current that is surrounded by the Calm Belts and follows an imaginary line that runs from north-west to south-east across the middle of the world and perpendicular to the Red Line. The Red Line is a vast continent that circles the globe from north-east to south-west. These two lines divide the rest of the Blue Sea into the Blues: North Blue, East Blue, West Blue, and South Blue. This stretch of ocean is said to be the most dangerous place in the world, and is commonly referred to as the **Pirates' Graveyard** by people from the four Blues because of this reputation. Those few pirate crews that make it to the second half of the Grand Line, known as "the New World", refer to the first half as "Paradise", showing it is all relative. Most believe that it is impossible to safely leave the Grand Line save at its beginning and end. However, the World Government regularly sends ships across the Calm Belts by coating their hulls with Seastone, rendering them invisible to the Sea Kings.

[2] _**Sea Kings**_ ― Sea creatures which are generally much larger than the normal ones. They are found in great numbers along the Calm Belt around the Grand Line, although in special circumstances, they can be found in other places throughout the world. Sea Kings make trade and travel difficult for anyone trying to cross the water where they are found as they are exceptionally fierce and strong compared to many other sea creatures. They are powerful predators and attack unprovoked with no fear or signs of backing down, with the only exceptions being the cases where they themselves were the hunted. Cases have arisen where some islands in the Grand Line close to the edge of the Calm Belt (their natural breeding ground) have ended up getting almost completely cut off from the rest of the world due to the Sea Kings themselves.

[3] _**Log Pose**_ ― A compass-like navigational device, a necessity for traveling the Grand Line. The standard Log Pose is a bracelet with a glass orb sitting on top, and a needle floating inside the middle of that orb suspended from the top by a thin piece of wire. Normal compasses do not work in the Grand Line due to the special magnetic waves created from each island. The Log Pose functions by recording the magnetic wave of an island in the Grand Line, and points to that island so the user can travel there. Once on an island for the required amount of time, the recording of the magnetic wave resets, and the needle starts pointing toward the next island. The time it takes to lock onto the magnetic waves of the next island varies from island to island. The reset time could could only take seconds, or it could take years.


	7. VI. WINDY DAYS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> new faces, new places. what's not to love?

[unedited]

Alabasta wasn't exactly a sight for sore eyes.

Beyond the desolate wastelands and hills of boiling hot sand and thieves roaming around, the cities seemed to be practically drowning beneath the rays of heat pouring out of the sun, with hundreds of people running all around the busy streets. The port of Nanohana was a rather large melting pot of cultural goods and people all across the world, and you found yourself right at home within the sea of civilians and traveling merchants.

Having purchased a few sets of clothing from a nearby vendor, you blended in rather easily with the rest of them. With a large piece of cloth wrapped around your head and traditional robes crafted by a trendy seamstress known all throughout the regions of Alabasta, you had no trouble with slipping in and out of the streets without earning any wandering eyes glued to your back.

"Good grief..." You sigh, a hand on your hip. "Just where could he be...?"

You parted way with the rest of the crew to go and bring back your captain in one piece, having suddenly run off in search of food after so many days spent without having another one of his usual gluttonous feasts. The scent of various spices and perfumes mixed together, and made the streets a bit difficult to navigate when combined with the ever so busy marketplace. Right as you turned around the corner of one of the nearby buildings, however, your heart stopped.

Lo and behold, the white-haired devil's just sitting right around the corner.

Wearing the same large coat atop his body and the usual set of cigarette sticks sitting between his teeth, Smoker seemed to be scanning the area for something or... someone. Your breath hitched, recalling what had happened the last time you'd been with him. The fact that he'd traveled all the way to Alabasta despite being stationed in Loguetown for so long could only mean one thing, and it wasn't particularly a good one: Smoker was chasing your crew down.

No good. Considering the last time everyone fought with him, it didn't end well. It'd be better to avoid confrontation with Smoker right now and just keep pushing forward with your journey. You'll have to tell Nami and the others about it so everyone can stay alert. Your journey will only be that much harder now, what with all these obstacles standing in your way.

Hands trembling ever so slightly, you tugged on the fabric atop your head to cover your face from being viewed any closer. Pupils darting around like bees to a field of flowers, you dove into the crowd again in the hopes of avoiding the pale-haired man again. The moment you brush shoulders with him while blending in with the rest of the townsfolk, it's as though lightning's struck the both of you in that very moment. 

Smoker's eyes widen, heart nearly jumping out of his chest. He swerves his head around, looking around with a panicky look swelling up within his eyes. He hardly even notices your figure amongst the rest of the people surrounding the streets, yet he can't bring himself to ignore that strange static that's alerted him so soon. For a moment, he's reminded of a certain someone yet again, and the way they flickered in and out of his life so soon.

More than a dozen warning bells rang inside his head, and the Marine Captain narrowed his eyes while staring at the direction you'd gone in. 

Was it really you? Or was it just some random passer-by running a few afternoon errands?

Whatever the case, you were already long gone from his line of sight. Drowning beneath the multitude of travelers and citizens wandering the city, searching for you now would just be futile. Smoker brought a gloved hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing a soft string of curses before searching elsewhere.

▃▃▃▃▃

Dashing and darting in between the huge crowd of people, you looked around nervously. To think that you'd actually end up crossing paths with Smoker so soon does nothing to sooth your rapidly beating heart or push out the dozens of worrying thoughts running through your head. [Eye color] eyes bouncing from one side of the street to another, there's no sign of your captain near any of the stalls here. 

Ugh, what should you do?

You need to keep looking for Luffy, but it won't do you any good getting caught now. Warily peeping from behind you, it didn't seem like he took notice of you for long. Sighing, you picked up the pace and continued your search. Really, your captain was too much trouble for you today!

As if on cue, your stomach began to growl. Freezing in place, you sheepishly grinned down at your stomach with a hand on your cheek. Perhaps you should've ate a bit more at breakfast today back on the ship. You ended up giving a couple portions of it to the rest of the crew when your captain snatched up everyone else's plate earlier this morning. Looking around, you spotted a rather large restaurant amidst the large number of colorful shops and stalls that decorated the town of Nanohana. 

"Hm," You tapped your chin, deep in thought. "A little pit-stop from searching wouldn't hurt, right?"

▃▃▃▃▃

"What can I do for you, miss?" The chef sends you a rather warm greeting, beaming down at you.

Returning the friendly gesture with the nod of your head, you accept a menu from him as you step forward to slide down into one of the seats at the front counter. Peering through the pages, you hum while deciding what you'd be eating today. Gosh, you were so hungry. You'd barely eaten anything today!

"I'll take two, no, three plates of seafood fried rice, one bowl of lamb and beef stew, a grilled pheasant, and two helpings of flatbread, please." You smiled, listing off your order. "Oh! And a glass of water as well, thank you."

The chef swallowed down his saliva, small beads of sweat running down his head as he stared at you with wide eyes, "M-Miss? Are you sure you can handle ordering all of that for your meal?"

"Hm?" You tilted your head at his words, blinking owlishly before chuckling. "Yes, of course. Admittedly, I'm a bit hungrier than usual today. I hope that's alright with you, sir...?"

"No, no! Of course not! I'll get started right away, ma'am." The large man scurried over to the stove, hands trembling ever so slightly as he began his work.

You surveyed the interior of the restaurant, closing your eyes for a few minutes as you began to relax. The aromas that came pouring out of the kitchen were incredibly enticing, almost on par with the usual cuisine that Sanji would serve you back up on the ship. You grew a bit more comfortable within your seat at the restaurant's bar top, loosening the headdress wrapped around your head so it didn't cover up so much of the front of your face. 

Naturally, it was still quite hot today in Nanohana. The bustling port town was no different than the rest of the scorching hot deserts that surrounded Alabasta, though the restaurant provided well-needed shade from the sun's merciless rays outside. Compared to the swarms of people that flooded the streets out there, there was a bit more space in here even with the dozen few other hungry customers pouring in and out of the eatery.

The sounds of silverware and dishes piling up in the corner of the room entered your ears, along with the mindless chatter and pleasant conversations that flowed around. Admiring the chef's handiwork from afar, you immersed yourself much more deeply within the blanket of white noise that surround you and hardly took notice of the newcomer that arrived. 

They took a few steps forward, crossing over the streets to reach the bar top and took the seat directly to your right. Carrying a strange bag in the shape and pattern of an unusually large watermelon, he offered you the tip of his hat with a grin. You nodded politely as a small sign of acknowledgement, taking the time to glance over and drink in his appearance. 

He stood out pretty easily from the rest of the town's inhabitants. He was shirtless, for starters, though clearly not uncomfortable; with a toned frame that leaned more towards the leaner side, clearly built from a large number of years dedicated to hard work and experience in battle. A long row of tattoos and ink-stained scribbles were woven into across his arms and back, the one sitting atop his left bicep labeled with the words: A ~~S~~ CE along with something that resembled a Jolly Roger across his back. Sesame seed freckles decorated his cheeks and nose, matching the dark color of his eyes and wavy strands of hair. Could he have been part of another crew?

You scrunched your nose a little, twitching ever so slightly. You could smell something like freshly burnt charcoal and smoke emanating from his body for some strange reason, which had also happened with several other Devil Fruit users you'd come across during your travels. Was it normal to be able to sense these sort of things so easily? Through smell, no less?

Not to mention the strange energy wrapped around him, too. There was something about his presence that just felt overwhelming; overpowering, as though his existence was trying to consume you entirely. It reminded you of Mihawk, in a way, though it didn't feel quite as heavy and unpleasant as your... charming encounter with the swordsman himself last time you met.

There was a strange sense of bittersweet nostalgia and familiarity that grew the longer you looked at him, one which left you even more confused than ever before. You'd felt this way back at Loguetown and now here, too. 

Averting your eyes to avoid attracting any unwanted attention from the young man, you turned your head back towards the kitchen and continued to wait for your meal to arrive. Luckily enough, it arrives within mere seconds. The chef stepped forward, carefully balancing several plates filled with food over to your side of the counter. Gently placing them down before you, he also handed you a glass of water to go with the rest of your meal along with a small smile.

Beaming, you happily took a pair of eating utensils from him as well, "Thank you very much."

You dug right in, [eye color] eyes brimming with childish delight at how amazing everything tasted. There was a blissful look on your face the whole time, one plate emptied right after another in mere minutes as you took plenty of hungry — yet polite — bites of food. 

You'd finished the first set of plates within mere minutes, already starting on another one. The chef seemed to look on with horror at your rapid pace, face completely aghast as you carried on with gusto. The black-haired young man sitting beside you rattled off his order to the chef, languidly turning his head to look over at you. He leaned an elbow atop the wooden surface of the bar top counter, cradling his face within the palm of his hand as he watched you with something akin to child-like interest and amusement dancing within his eyes.

"That good, huh?" He hummed, a pleasant throaty sound that had you pausing your feast. "I'm glad I ordered a lot, then. You sure seem to be enjoying yourself!"

You swallowed the spoonful of broth still sitting inside your mouth and offered him a sheepish smile, feeling a tad bit flustered about your mealtime manners and behavior earlier, what with all the food you'd ordered up not too long ago. It wasn't very often that you'd indulge yourself in the same characteristics as your captain, seeing as you usually refrained from pushing your limits with what your stomach desired over your heart. In all honesty, you could devour the moon and every single one of the stars in the sky and still crave a few more snacks for the road if it came down to it.

Goodness, you really should be more careful next time. You ought to eat more the next time you have a meal on the ship. Though, you'd hate to trouble Sanji anymore than the rest of the crew already does...

He seemed to have caught onto your budding anxiousness, giving a polite bow of his head. "My apologies. I interrupted your meal."

You raised a hand to your lips, blinking owlishly at his rather cordial display of manners before suddenly waving in a dismissive manner. "Oh, it's alright, really. There's no need to apologize."

The young man with onyx eyes nodded, grinning over at you. There was a sense of cheer and mischief that melded together through the shine in his eyes and the quirk of his lips, something which reminded you of a certain someone rather near and dear to you. 

"My name's Ace," He introduced himself to you. "Portgas D. Ace."

Your eyes widened by a fraction, freezing in the middle of your meal at his words. Spoon clattering to the bottom of your plate, you glanced at him from the corner of your eye, nervous. 

Ace? Portgas D. Ace? Not just that name alone, but that of the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?

Perhaps your suspicions as to why he looked so familiar to you could be cleared for now. After all, what kind of person out there _wouldn't_ recognize the name of one of the most promising rookies shooting up through the ranks within the famed Whitebeard Pirates themselves? The very same ones who were considered to be the longtime rivals of the very first Pirate King, Gol D. Roger himself?

A fool, perhaps, but certainly not someone like you.

Have many times have you heard his name flying around through the News Coo or the hushed whispers and gossip of regular-day civilians and wandering Marines? You'd even heard about him back when you'd still been hiding on the island that Coby and Alvida's crew used to dock on. His face was plastered over hundreds of the Marines' most wanted criminals of the seas, his bounty only growing larger and larger with each day that passes by.

"Fire Fist" Ace, the world called him.

Likely something alluding to his Devil Fruit's ability, what with the strong scent of freshly burnt charcoal and other smoky substances coming from his body. You crinkled your nose ever so slightly as you took it in again, gulping nervously as you held eye-contact with the young man himself.

He seemed pretty amused by your reactions, likely having expected something like that from the very beginning. Releasing a carefree chuckle, he leaned down briefly to rummage through his bag and retrieve something. He slid a piece of paper to you as he popped back up. You glanced over at it, only for your blood to run cold.

Eyes narrowing, you clenched your fists at the sight of your silhouette staring back at you. Your bounty had gone up since you'd left Loguetown, it seems, though the Marines still hadn't updated the photo on your wanted poster to something more easily recognizable for most people to find. In all honesty, you hadn't had too many bouts with the Marines yourself, so it's no wonder as to why they still lacked any proper images of you.

Not only that, but it looks like they'd come out with an article about what happened back in Loguetown, too. A full-fledged article detailing your crew's exploits in Loguetown along with the scuffle you'd gotten tangled up in thanks to Buggy and his crew sat right on the front of the of the newspaper, making your head start to ache.

"Thought I recognized you," Ace grunted, picking up a spoon as he began digging into his meal. "But, relax. I ain't looking to hurt you or anything. I was just a little curious, that's all."

"...I see," You murmured softly, sliding it back over to the freckled boy. "Well, isn't that interesting..."

Ace shot you a sympathetic look as he watched you pinch at the bridge of your nose, slipping your wanted poster back within the confines of his bag. You fiddled with a piece of your head covering, slipping it over your head again as you sipped your beverage.

"If it helps at all, I don't think there's anyone else around here who recognizes you aside from me. You've been doing a pretty good job of staying on the down-low for a while," The raven-haired boy offered, keeping his voice below a whisper to avoid attracting any unwanted attention from the other customers sitting in the restaurant. "It's only been a couple of months since your wanted poster first came out, so I doubt there's anymore than maybe a handful of people who know about you beyond the Grand Line."

"For now, that is." You hummed, swaying your glass back and forth with a blank look in your eyes. 

You couldn't help but shoot the boy a look, tilting your head. His claims didn't really do all that much to reassure you about the current state of circumstances going on right about now, but it did ease your worries just a little bit. With a bit of renewed energy, you returned to finishing the rest of your meal, albeit in a halfhearted fashion.

"Why bother telling me all of this?" You quirked a brow, shoving a spoonful of rice into your mouth. You stared at him from the corner of your eyes, highly curious. "It's not like there's an actual reason for you to do so, right?"

"The articles said you'd been teaming up with my little brother..." Ace shot you a lopsided grin, propping his chin back up into the palm of his hand as he gave you a once-over. He had a cheeky smile that showcased the sea of freckles decorating his face. "Seems like he's found an interesting bunch of people to be working with, huh?"

Your eyes widened, placing a hand over your mouth in genuine surprise as his words sank in. "Luffy's brother...? That...it's you?"

The dark-haired young man beamed, voice filled with pride as he looked off into space. "Yep. Hope he hasn't given you too much trouble. I apologize for that. I'm looking for him, you see, so I was hoping you might be with him."

"Ah," Your face blanked, now recalling your initial objective. "Right, right..."

Ace took note of the suddenly sour look on your face, frowning. "What's wrong? He _is_ here, right?"

"Hm? Oh," You lowered your head in apology, nodding. "Yes, yes, he's here, please don't worry. It's just that...he might've, ah, wandered off somewhere around town as soon as we landed near Alabasta."

"Ah, so that's how it is," Ace bobbed his head, crossing his arms as he chuckled quietly to himself. "Makes sense."

"If I had to guess though, he'll probably be running around like a headless chicken for the nearest restaurant and whatnot." The pirate burst out laughing at your dry remark, causing you to look up at him in surprise.

"Haha, yeah," The boy snickered. "That sounds just like him."

A brief silence fell down between the two of you, soon accompanied by the chef's arrival as he delivered a wide variety of dishes across Ace's side of the counter. The raven-haired boy politely thanked the chef, cheerfully digging into his food as you returned to sipping down your beverage along with the rest of your meal.

Right when you'd finished the last few bits of food on your plate, Ace called out to you again.

"I never did catch your name, miss." He murmured through a mouthful of pasta, slurping the buttery noodles up in one bite.

"Ah, that's right," You hummed, an amused smile forming as you stared down at the glass of water in your hand. "It's [Name]."

"[Name], huh..." The boy with black hair rolled your name off his tongue a couple of times before grinning cheekily at you. "A lovely name for an even lovelier lady."

"Pfft!" You pursed your lips, hiding your laughter behind the sleeves of your hands. "Gosh, how silly..."

The Whitebeard pirate glanced down at your petite figure, marveling at the sound of your laughter. Soft, but sweet, your voice sent a sea of pleasant chills running down his spine and straight towards his heart. He chuckled, chewing another forkful of food. Seems like his little brother always did bring in the most unique characters to the table, huh?

"Well, [Name]," Ace spoke up, turning to you again with a fork in hand. He offered you another lopsided smile, something that reminded you quite a bit of a certain someone (your captain, maybe? or someone else). "If you don't mind, would you like to help me search for my little brother? After you're finished your meal, of course."

That didn't sound half bad actually. Ace had been surprisingly pleasant company and had even been courteous enough to approach and warn you of your new situation. He came off as trustworthy, plus, he was Luffy's brother, so there was even more of a reason to place your trust in him. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have extra help in your search. If things happened to go down south for the both of you, you at least knew he'd have your back in a fight, seeing as he was the one and only "First Fist" Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and one of the Marines' most wanted criminals in the Grand blue. 

You smiled, looking up from your meal to answer the male. "Yes, I'd like that very mu—"

_PLOP!_

You froze, gazing down at your companion in disbelief. 

Ace was laying face down in his meal, one hand — amazingly enough — still holding a forkful of meat up so as to eat it. Until he'd face-planted that is, completely asleep, into his own plate of food, body rising and falling gently with each breath he took. 

You stared down at him, blinking owlishly with a single hand still wrapped around your glass of water. After a few more minutes, you let out a long and terribly tiresome sigh at the sudden chance in circumstances.

"How tiresome..." You mumbled, staring vacantly across the room. "One brother follows right after another in eccentricity, hm?"

**Author's Note:**

> this story will be following the manga. so, just a warning in advance that there'll be plenty of spoilers abound!


End file.
